DATE  DUE 

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A     SKETCH 


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SKU  HI) 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


BY 


HEXRY    S.    PE^RHAM 


1890. 


M39-Z.C35^ 


PREFACE. 

This  sketch  was  prepared   for  The  History  of  Middlesex   County, 

published    by  J.  W.   Lewis  &  Co.,    Philadelphia.         It  appears    here    just    as  it 

came  from  their  press. 

H.  .s.   I'. 

Chelmsford,  Mass.,   March   3j,   iSgi. 


CHELMSFOKD. 


239 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHELMSFORD. 

BY  HENRY  S.  PERHAM. 
EARLY   HISTORY. 

The  first  movement  toward  the  settlement  of 
Chelmsford  was  made  in  1652  by  some  citizens  of 
Woburn  and  Concord  who  petitioned  the  Court  for 
the  privilege  of  examining  a  tract  of  land  on  the 
"  other  side  of  Concord  River." 

Woburn  and  Concord  were  the  towns  then  nearest 
to  this  tract,  the  latter  having  been  the  'first  inland 
town  in  Massachussetts. 

The  examination  of  this  tract  was  followed  by  a 
petition  May  10,  1653,  for  a  grant  of  the  quantity  of 
six  miles  square,  "  which  bordereth  upon  Merrimack 
River  near  to  Paatucket,  which  we  do  find  a  very 
comfortable  place  to  accommidate  a  company  of 
God's  people  upon  ;  that  may  with  God's  blessing  and 
assistance  live  comfortably  upon  and  do  good  in  that 
place  for  church  and  commonw^ealth."  Signed  to  this 
were  the  names  of  Benjamin  Butterfield,  John  Parker, 
Isaac  Learned,  James  Parker,  George  Farley,  Thomas 
Chamberlin,  Joseph  Parker,  John  Hosmer,  Jacob 
Parker,  Henry  Foster,  William  Chamberlin,  John 
Nuttinge,  Edmund  Chamberlin,  John  Baldwinge, 
Richard  Grifl5n,  James  Blood,  John  Smedley,  Roger 
Draper,  William  Fletcher,  Thomas  Adams,  William 
Hartwell,  Robert  Proctor,  William  Buttrick,  Baptist 
Smedley,  Richard  Hildreth,  Thomas  Briggam,  Daniel 
Bloggett,  John  Hall,  William  Hall. 

This  tract  petitioned  for  included  the  fishing- 
grounds  of  the  Indians,  at  Pawtucket,  upon  the  Mer- 
rimack, where  the  city  of  Lowell  now  stands.  Gookin 
wrote  that  this  was  an  "  ancient  and  capital  seat  of 
Indians."  Rev.  John  Eliot,  of  Roxbury,  was  then 
engaged  in  those  efforts  to  convert  the  Indians  to 
Christianity,  from  which  he  came  to  be  known  as  the 
Apostle  to  the  Indians.  He  had  visited  Pawtucket  as 
early  as  1647,  in  company  with  Captain  "Willard,  of 
Concord,  and  some  of  the  Christian  Indians  of  his 
OAvn  neighborhood.  Again  in  the  spring  of  1648 : 
"At  that  season  of  the  year  there  was  annually  a 
great  collection  of  Indians  at  this  spot,  a  famous 
fishing-place,  and  they  furnished  him  with  large  aud- 
iences— Indians  that  came  from  various  quarters." 

The  good  Eliot,  who  was  mindful  as  well  for  the 
temporal  as  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  dusky  charges, 
petitioned  the  Court  for  a  grant  of  land  for  the 
Indians.  The  following  answer  of  the  Court  was  to 
both  petitions : 

"May  18,  1653. 
"In  ans'  to  the  peticon  of  seuerall  oj  the  inhabitants  of  Concord  and 
Woobourne  for  the  erecting  of  a  new  plantacon  on  Merremacke  Eiver, 
neere  to  Pawtuckett,  the  court  doth  graunt  the  peticoners  of  Concord 
and  Woobourne  the  track  of  land  menconed  in  theere  peticon,  excepting 
some  part  of  it  joyning  to  Merremacke  River  :  Provided,  that  the  sajd  pe- 
ticoners shall  sufficjently  breake  vp  full  so  much  land  for  the  Indjans 


in  Buch  place  as  they  shall  appointe  wth  in  such  plantacon  as  shall  there 
be  appointed  them,  as  they  haue  of  planting  ground  about  a  hill  called 
Bobbins  Hill,  and  that  tbe  Indjans  shall  have  vse  of  theere  planting 
ground,  aforesajd,  free  of  all  damages,  vutill  the  peticoners  shall  have 
broken  vp  the  land  for  the  Indians  as  aforesajd. 

"2'y.  For  the  plantacon  peticoned  for  by  Mr.  Eljott,  the  court  judgeth 
it  meete  to  be  graunted  them,  wth  the  exceptions  and  provissions  afore- 
mentioned, and  for  the  stating  of  both,  that  Capt  Willard  and  Capt 
Johnson  be  appointed  to  lay  out  the  sajd  plantacoua  or  touneshlpps,  the 
English  at  the  charge  of  the  peticoners,  the  Indjans  at  the  charge  of  the 
countrje,  w*in  one  month  after  the  end  of  this  sessions,  that  neither  of 
the  plantacons  be  retarded. 

"3iy.  That  if  the  peticoners  of  Concord  and  Woobourne  shall  not, 
wiiin  two  yeares,  setle  a  competent  noumber  of  familjes  there,  by  build- 
ing and  planting  vppon  the  sajd  tract  of  land  twenty  familjes  or  vp- 
wards,  so  as  they  may  be  in  capacitje  of  injoying  all  the  ordjnances  of 
God  there,  then  the  graunt  to  be  vojd." 

Of  this  committee,  which  was  entrusted  by  the 
Court  to  lay  out  these  grants.  Captain  Edward  John- 
son, of  Woburn,  was  the  author  of  "  The  Wonder- 
working Providence  of  Zion's  Savior  in  New  Eng- 
land," a  valuable  historical  work  which  epitomizes 
the  Puritan  philosophy.  Simon  Willard,  of  Concord 
(the  ancestor  of  two  presidents  of  Harvard  College), 
was  the  gallant  captain  who  rode  to  the  relief  of 
Brookfield  when  it  was  assaulted  by  the  Indians  Au- 
gust 2,  1675. 

A  few  families  came  in  and  occupied  this  territory 
without  waiting  for  their  petition  to  be  acted  upon, 
probably  in  1652,  as  the  first  birth  is  recorded  early 
in  1653,  viz.,  "Joseph  Parker,  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Marget,  his  wife  [        ]  30  daye  of  March :  1653." 

One  record  bears  an  earlier  date,  viz. : 

"  Sarah  Parker,  dau.  of  Jacob  and  Sarah,  his  wife 
[  ],  Janeware  14  :  1653."  But  the  reform  in  the 
calendar,  by  Pope  Gregory,  had  not  then  been 
adopted  in  New  England.  By  the  old  style  then  in 
vogue  the  year  began  March  25th ;  therefore  January, 
1653,  old  style,  would  be  January,  1654,  new  style. 
The  usual  form  of  writing  dates  between  January 
and  March  was  165|. 

Allen  gives  it  as  a  tradition  that  Joseph  Parker 
was  the  first  person  born  in  town.  One  other  birth 
and  a  marriage  were  recorded  the  same  year. 

The  petitioners  for  the  grant  of  the  township  did 
not  all  take  up  their  abode  here,  and  some  who  took 
up  land  soon  disposed  of  their  possessions  and  went 
elsewhere. 

The  Parkers  were  from  Woburn.  There  were  five 
brothers.  Of  the  four  whose  names  were  among  the 
petitioners,  none  of  them  long  remained  in  Chelms- 
ford. James  went,  about  1660,  to  Groton,  where  he 
became  the  leading  man  of  the  town.  Joseph  also 
went  to  Groton  and  after  to  Dunstable.  Jacob  was 
the  first  town  clerk  of  Chelmsford,  but  soon  removed 
to  Maiden,  and  John  went  to  Billerica.  The  Cham- 
berlins  were  also  from  Woburn.  Thomas  and  Ed- 
mund settled  in  Chelmsford  and  William  in  Billerica. 
John  Baldwin  and  George  Farley,  also  from  Woburn, 
settled  in  Billerica.  The  first  birth  in  that  town  was 
Samuel,  the  son  of  George  Farley.  James  Blood  and 
John  Nutting  took  up  land  here,  but  both  soon  went 


240 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


to  Groton.  The  latter  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in 
the  assault  upon  that  town  in  1676. 

Abraham  Parker,  the  elder  of  the  brothers,  came 
early  with  his  sons,  Moses,  John  and  Isaac,  and  re- 
mained in  this  town. 

A  tradition,^  which  is  worthy  of  credence,  says  that 
Abraham's  wife  was  the  first  woman  who  "  baked  and 
brewed  in  Chelmsford." 


Sagamore's  planting  field  is  shown  upon  the  north- 
east. The  description  which  accompanied  the  plan 
is,  unfortunately  not  preserved.  When  the  adjoining 
territory  came  to  be  occupied  the  lines  of  the  town 
were  found  to  be  so  indefinite  as  to  occasion  an  un- 
certainty as  to  the  correct  boundaries. 

The  Nashoba  Indians  had  obtained  a  grant  of  the 
section  which  is  now  Littleton,  through  the  good  offi- 


THE  PLAN  OF    CHELMSFOED    FROM    MASSACHUSETTS    ARCHIVES. 


The  plan  of  the  town  as  laid  out  by  the  committee, 
as  here  shown,  was  engraved  from  a  tracing  from  the 
original  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives,  Ancient 
Plans,  vol.  112,  p.  81.  The  space  marked  "  India 
Land"  was  the  tract  reserved  for  the  Indians.    Joe 


1  Letter  of  Jonathan  Perham,  1821. 


ces  of  the  apostle,  Eliot,  about  the  time  of  the  grant 
to  the  Pawtuckets.  At  the  time  of  King  Philip's 
War  the  Indians  mostly  abandoned  their  reservation, 
and  it  was  encroached  upon  by  people  from  adjoining 
towns,  mostly  from  Groton.  Boundary  controversies 
grew  out  of  this.  The  Chelmsford  line  bordered 
upon  this  tract  for  a  considerable  distance. 


CHELMSFORD. 


241 


Controversies  also  arose  in  another  quarter  between 
Clielmsford,  Concord,  Billerica  and  the  Blood  farms. 
In  1694  the  selectmen  of  Chelmsford  and  Concord 
united  in  a  petition  to  the  General  Court  for  a  com- 
mittee to  examine  and  settle  these  rival  claims.  This 
was  done  and  the  claims  of  Billerica  were  estab- 
lished. 

Finally,  in  1697,  the  town  chose  Captain  Bowers 
and  Thomas  Parker  a  committee  "to  act  on  the 
towns  be  halfe  in  all  things  nesery  as  to  the  finding 
out  the  first  grant  of  the  town  and  to  do  what  soauer 
is  nedfull  to  secuer  the  town  as  it  is  bounded" 

They  obtained  the  following  deposition  of  one  of 
the  committee,  then  living  in  Groton,  who  assisted  in 
laying  out  the  town  forty-five  years  before : 


church  of  Wenham  and  their  pastor,  Kev.  John  Fisk, 
to  remove  to  this  place.  An  account  of  these  nego- 
tiations in  the  quaint  diction  of  the  time  has  been 
preserved  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Fisk  : 

"  A  day  was  set  of  meeting  at  Chelmsford. 

"  Vpon  the  sd  day  set  divers  of  yo  Brethren  accompanied  the  Pastor 
ouer  vnto  chelms.  where  y  Comittee  &  divers  others  were  present  A 
view  was  taken  of  ye  place.  The  Brethren  p'sent  satisfyed  themselves 
aboute  theire  accommodations,  &  proposalls  were  then  made  to  ye  pasto' 
for  his  accommodation  &  yeerely  mayntenance,  as  to  be  tended  vnto 
him  by  consent  of  ye  whole  of  Inhabitants  &  in  their  name  by  y«  Com- 
ittee." 


"  Groton,  noumber :  24  :  1698  capten  Jeams  parker  being  of  full  age 
testyfy  and  say  that  the  honered  Jenarall  courte  grated  a  sarten  track 
of  land  for  a  plantation  nowe  caled  chelmsford  and  impowered  majear 
symon  wilard  and  capten  edward  Johnson  as  a  committe,  which  com. 
mltte  came  with  full  power  to  lay  out  sd  plantation  and  did  se  sd  planta- 
tion layd  out  to  ther  content  capten  John  Shearmon  being  the  artes, 
did  lay  out  sd  plantation  begining  at  a  riuer  comonly  caled  conkard 
riuer  bounded  with  a  stake  upon  the  land  caled  wamaset  land  and  so 
runing  on  a  lyne  by  marked  tres  to  a  heape  of  stones  and  to  nashoba 
plantation  runing  upon  nashoba  line  to  a  great  pine-tre  and  so  runing 
on  a  strayt  line  ouer  a  pond  caled  stonny  brook  pond  to  a  pine-tre 
marked  with  C  and  G  and  so  ouer  sd  brook  to  a  heape  of  stones  and  so 
mining  on  the  south  syd  of  a  great  hill  on  the  north  syd  of  sd  brook  and 
ouer  sd  brook  to  a  groat  pine-tre  and  so  to  sd  stake  by  conkard  riuer  thus 
Bd  committe  and  sd  arttes  layd  out  sd  plantation  and  rescued  fullsattes- 
facttion  for  ther  saruestherin:  and  did  ingage  to  make  a  tru  return  to 
the  honared  court  of  ther  laying  out  sd  plantation  :  and  furder  sd  parker 
doothe  testyfy  and  say  that  hinslef  Thomis  adams  Wilyara  flecher 
and  Isack  larnit  ware  the  committe  chosen  by  the  petetlnors  of  sd  land 
to  se  sd  plantation  layd  out :  this  taken  upon  outh  befoer  me  this  24  of 
noumber :  1698 

"  Thomis  hinchman,  Justes. 
"This  aboue  is  a  true  coppey  of  the  origanall  recorded  by  me,  sollo- 
man  Keyes,  toune  clerk  the  6  day  of  desember  1698  "  i 

It  is  impossible  to  reconcile  this  description,  and 
the  lines  as  settled  between  Chelmsford  and  Billerica, 
in  1701   (in   which   those    towns  joined  for  several 
miles),  with  the  plan.     It  will  be  seen,  however,  that 
Chelmsford  extended  from  the  Concord  Eiver  on  the 
east  to  Stony  Brook  Pond  (now  called  Forge  Pond) 
on  the  west.     Following  the  description  from   there, 
"  over  sd  brook  to  a  heap  of  stones,"— the  northwest 
corner,--"  and  so  running  on  the  south  side  of  a  great 
hill"— either  Kissacook   or  Snake  Meadow  Hill— 
"  on  the  north  side  of  said  brook  "— ^tony  Brook— 
"and  over  said  brook  to  a  great  pine  tree"— the 
northeast  corner.     Allen  says  that  the  latter  bound 
was  at  the  glass  factory,  which  stood  near  what  is 
now  Baldwin  Street,  in  Lowell,  nearly  opposite  West 
Pine  Street.    Although  1  know  of  nothing  improba- 
ble in  this  statement  of  Allen's,  his  other  descriptions 
of  the  town  lines  are  so  manifestly  erroneous  that 
little  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  it. 

As  soon  as  these  few  pioneers  become  established 
in  their  new  home  they  set  about  to  provide  for  the 
religious  wants  of  the  community. 

In  September,  1654,  propositions  were  made  to  the 


16-iI 


Copied  from  original  record,  page  56. 


Soon  after  their  return  to  Wenham  the  major  part 
of  the  church,  seven  in  number,  with  their  pastor,  de- 
cided to  accept  Chelmsford's  proposals.  But  at  thi» 
stage  of  the  proceedings,  for  some  unexplained  rea- 
son, the  negotiations  were  broken  off.  "Thus  the 
matter  Lay  dormant  as  twere  all  winter  till  y«  P'  m^ 
55,  at  what  time  Bro  :  Read  coming  ouer  enformed  vs 
in  such  wise  here  at  Wenham,  as  therevpon  both  y« 
P.  &  y-^  8^  engaged  brethren  demurred  vpon  y«  pro- 
ceedings &  some  y'  had  sold  heere  at  Wenham,  re- 
deemed their  accommodations  agayne  into  their  pos- 
session and  a  Letter  was  sutably  sent  by  Br.  Read  to 
acquainte  y«  Chelmsf.  comittee  how  things  stood  & 
advised  to  stead  themselves  els^'here." 

The  mutter  was  not  abandoned,  however ;  several 
letters  passed  between  them.  And  in  June,  1655, 
"  Jsa.  Lernet,  Sim  :  Thompson  &  Tho :  Adams  "  went 
with  letters  from  the  people  of  Chelmsford,  entrusted 
"  with  full  power  to  them  to  treate  &  finally  to  deter- 
mine the  busines  depending  betwene  both  parties." 
It  was  finally  decided  "  to  refer  the  matter  to  counsell 
and  y«  parties  agreed  vpon  were  M--.  Endicott,  Gov- 
ernor;  M^  Mather,  Mr  Allen,  of  Dedhain  ;  M'  Cob- 
bet,  M'  Sherman  Capt.  Johnson,  of  Wooburne  who 
determined  the  case  for  Chelmsford. 

"  This  case  thus  determined  :  on  either  side  prep- 
aration was  made  for  y«  Removal  of  the  church. 

"  Accordingly  about  y«  13'''  of  g^".  55,  There  were 
met  at  Chelmsford,  the  pastor  with  y«  Engaged 
Brethren  of  Wenham  Church,  viz.,  Ezdras  Read, 
Edw.  Kemp,  Austin  Killam,  Ser :  Foster,  Geo :  Byam' 
&  Rich  Goldsmith,  Seuen  in  all  To  whom  such  of 
the  Brethren  of  Wooburne  &  Concord  Ch  :  late  at 
Wenham,  Now  in  Removing  to  Chelmesford,  pre- 
sented themselves  &  Testimony  Giuen  were  by  an 
vnanimous  vote  Recejved  into  fellowship  They  be- 
ing y«  greater  number  in  way  of  [  ]  complyance 
a  Relation  passes  [on]  either  side,  as  each  one  rela- 
tion by  [word]  viz.  : 

Memb's.  Rec*. 

"  IsaackLernett  (he  dyed  8  of  10,  57) j 

Simon  Thompson  (he  died  about  [at  Goburne]) 2 

Wm.  Underwood '  o 

Abram  Parker . 

Eenj.  Butterfield * 5 

Tho  :  Chambei-lin '  . 

Next  received  Dan.  Blogget,  who  brought  letters  of  dismission 

from  the  ch  :  at  Cambridge 7 

"So  after  this  the  Seals  of  the  Supper  administered  and  there  were 
admitted  by  vote  these  members  of  other  Churches,  to  communion  with 


242 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


us  in  these  Seals:  Mr.  Griffin,  Wm.  Fletcher  and  his  wife,  Tho  r  Adams) 
and  his  wife,  Br.  Vnd''wood'8  wife   (Edw.  Spalding),  Bro :  Biitterfield's 
wife,  Bro  :  Chaniberlin's  wife,  Edm  :  Chaniberlin'e  wife,Abram  Parker's 
wife,  Jos.  Parker's  wife,  Isa.  Lernet's  wife,  Sim  :  Thompson's  wife. 
"  8.  Since  Rec*.  into  fellowship  was  Jacob  Parker 
"  9.  Tho :  Adams  and  Edw.  Spalding  on  27  of  2^  5G." 

The  first  town-meeting  for  the  choice  of  officers 
to  govern  the  town  afl'airs  and  to  provide  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  church  was  held  in  November,  1654,  at 
the  house  of  William  Fletcher.  This  is  said  to  have 
been  the  firet  frame  house  in  town.  It  stood  a  few 
rods  east  of  the  house  of  the  late  Ephraim  Crosby, 
upon  laud  which  has  continued  in  the  possession  of 
the  Fletcher  family  to  the  present  time. 

The  following  is  the  record  of  this  meeting : 

"  The  :  22d  :  the :  9th  :  month  :  1C54. 

"  At  a  meeting  then  at  William  Fletcher's  Hous  there  was  chosen  to 
officiate  in  Ordering  the  Publick  affairs  of  the  Place  by  the  Consent  of 
the  Major  part  of  the  Town  for  this  present  year  ensuing  are  as  fol- 
loweth  : 

"  Esdras  Read  :  Edward  Spaulding  :  William  Fletcher:  Isaac  Lerned, 
Simon  Thompson:  William  Uuderwood:  Thomas  Adams. 

"  We  give  to  Mr.  Fisk  Thirty  acres  of  meadow  and  Thirty  Acres  of 
Plowable  Land  for  the  acomidation  of  him  for  his  most  conveniancy  : 
And  we  do  agree  and  Order  that  ho  shall  have  a  hous  built  for  him 
Thirty-eight  foot  in  Length  &  Twenty  foot  in  bredth,  with  three  fire 
Booms,  the  Chimneys  built  with  Brick  or  Stone  :  and  we  promise  to  pay 
to  Mr.  Fisk,  Fifty  Pounds  for  the  first  year ;  And  we  promise  to  pay 
his  niainti  nance  as  the  Lord  Bhall  enable  us  for  the  future." 

It  is  uncertain  at  this  day  where  Mr.  Fisk's  house 
stood,  but  I  think  it  was  on  or  near  the  site  of  Wil- 
son's Block. 

In  all  the  foregoing  transactiori^  we  see  revealed 
the  deep  religious  character  of  the  founders  of  this 
town.  The  clause  in  the  first  petition  for  the  grant, 
that  "they  find  a  comfortable  place  to  accommodate  a 
company  of  God's  people  upon,"  and  the  condition  of 
the  grant  that  they  .settle  a  competent  number  of 
families  ...  as  may  be  in  capacity  for  enjoying 
all  the  ordinances  of  God  there."  And  their  action 
in  submitting  the  question  of  the  removal  of  the 
Wenham  Church  to  a  council  composed  of  the 
Governor  and  some  of  the  Colonies'  most  eminent  di- 
vines, are  acts  consistent  with  that  theocratic  scheme 
of  government  which  "  sought  to  erect  a  common- 
wealth to  be  composed  of  a  united  body  of  believers.'' 

The  Wenham  company  was  a  great  accession  to  the 
town.  Especially  the  influence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Fisk  in 
shaping  and  guiding  the  afiairs  of  the  infant  settle- 
ment cannot  be  estimated.  ^  He  was  born  in  the 
parish  of  St.  James,  Suflblk  County,  England,  about 
the  year  1601.  His  parents  sent  him  to  the  grammar 
school  near  their  home  and  after  to  Immanuel 
College,  Cambridge,  where  he  took  his  first  degree. 
He  then  studied  for  the  ministry  and  entered  upon 
his  favorite  work.  The  persecution  of  the  non- 
conformists obliged  him  to  abandon  the  ministry. 
He  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  physic,  and, 
after  passing  an  examination,  engaged  in  practice. 
He  came  to  New  England  in  1037.  To  avoid  the 
fury  of  his  persecutors  he  was  obliged  to  go  on  board 

1  Allen. 


the  vessel  in  disguise.  "  He  came  well  stocked  with 
servants  and  all  sorts  of  tools  for  husbandry  and 
carpentry  and  with  provisions  to  support  his 
family  in  a  wilderness  three  years,  out  of  which  he 
charitably  lent  a  considerable  quantity  to  the  country, 
which  he  then  found  in  the  distresses  of  a  war  with 
the  Pequot  Indians."  His  mother  died  on  the 
passage  and  his  infant  child  soon  after. 

"  -  He  taught  the  Charlestown  grammar  school  and 
after  in  Salem  the  first  grammar  school  in  that  city." 
He  acted  as  pastor  in  Wenham  for  about  fourteen 
years.  "Twenty  years  did  he  shine  in  the  golden 
candlestick  of  Chelmsford,  a  plain  but  an  able  .  .  . 
and  useful  preacher  of  the  gospel ;  rarely,  if  ever, 
by  sickness  hindered  from  the  exercises  of  his 
ministry." 

He  was  physician  as  well  as  pastor  and  Cotton 
Mather  says  of  him,  "Among  the  first  preachers  and 
writers  which  rendered  the  primitive  times  of  New 
England  happy,  was  one  who  might  be  called  the 
beloved  physician  ;  one  who  might  also  be  given  the 
eulogy  which  the  ancients  think  was  given  to  Luke — 
a  brother  whose  praise  was  in  the  Gospel,  throughout 
all  the  churches.    This  was  Mr.  John  Fiske." 

Of  those  who  came  with  Mr.  Fisk,  Mr.  Thomas 
Hinchman  became  perhaps  the  leading  man  of  the 
town.  As  deacon  of  the  church,  deputy  to  the  court, 
trustee  for  the  Indians,  and  leader  of  the  military,  he 
exerted  a  wide  influence.  He  was  also  probably  the 
most  wealthy  man  of  the  town.  Although  he  left  no 
family  so  far  as  we  know,  his  name  has  been  remem- 
bered. One  citizen  now  living  was  named  for  him — 
Edwin  Henchman  Warren.  Esdras  Read  soon  re- 
moved to  Boston,  where  he  died  in  1680.  The.Spald- 
ings  and  Byams  have  continued  prominent  names  in 
town  to  the  present  time.  Austin  Killam  and  Rich- 
ard Goldsmith  both  died  in  Wenham.  The  latter  was 
killed  by  lightning  May  13,  1673,  while  engaged 
in  conversation  with  Rev.  Mr.  Higginson,  who  had 
just  returned  from  the  church. 

The  second  town-meeting  was  held  "  month  first 
Day  24th  1655.  William  Fletcher  is  chosen  Consta- 
ble :  Isaac  Lerned  is  chosen  Sergeant  of  the  band : 
Simon  Tomson  is  chosen  Clerk  of  the  Band : 

"  It  is  ordered  that  the  first  Second  Day  of  the  first, 
month  Shall  be  observed  by  all  the  householders  of 
the  town  from  year  to  year  for  the  Chusing  of  all 
annuall  officers  belonging  to  the  Town  as  the  Select- 
men or  Committee,  Deputy  for  the  Court :  Constable; 
The  three  men  to  end  all  small  causes  under  Forty  Shill- 
ings, Surveyors  for  the  high-ways  Overseers  of  the 
fences  and  Swine  and  to  meet  at  the  meeting-hous 
by  nine  a  clock  in  the  morning  and  for  the  first  hours 
non-appearance  twelve  pence  and  for  a  whole  Days 
Absence  two  Shillings." 

Allen  states  that  the  third  town-meeting  was  "  held 
at  the  meeting-house  agreeable  to  former  vote." 


s  Ch.  Manual  Wenham. 


CHELMSFORD. 


243 


It  is  not  stated  ^  in  the  record  where  this  meeting 
was  held.  It  is  probable  that  the  meeting-house  was 
not  built  for  several  years.  In  1662  a  rate  was  levied 
for  the  "meeting-house  for  ye  Towne  £100-8."  And 
the  two  years  previous  considerable  sums  were  raised 
relative  to  the  same  object. 

IxcoRPORATiox. — The  town  was  incorporated  May 
29,  1655,  by  the  following  act : 

"  Vppon  informacon  from  Majo'  Willard,  by  a  letter  from  Esdras 
Bead,  Edward  Spalden,  Wm.  Fletcher,  etc.,  inhabitants  of  anew  plauta- 
con,  that  the  noumber  of  inhabitants,  according  to  the  time  plixt  in  the 
Courts  graunt,  were  there  settled  at  theire  request,  the  Court  doth 
graunt  the  name  thereof  to  be  called  Chelmsford." 

The  incorporation  of  Billerica  and  Groton  bear 
the  same  date. 

Chelmsford  was  probably  named  for  that  town  in 
England.  President  John  Adams,  who  was  from  the 
same  family  as  Samuel  and  Thomas  Adams  of  this 
town,  wrote  in  his  diary  that  "  Chelmsford  was  prob- 
ably named  in  compliment  to  Mr.  Hooker,  who  was 
once  minister  of  that  town  in  Essex." 

It  is  pleasant  to  feel  that  in  bestowing  a  name  upon 
the  town  its  founders  may  have  been  moved  by  a 
sympathy  with  the  enlightened  democratic  views  of 
the  great  preacher  who  founded  Connecticut;  the 
author  of  "  the  first-written  constitution  known  to 
history  that  created  a  government,  and  it  marked  the 
beginnings  of  American  democracy,  of  which  Thomas 
Hooker  deserves  more  than  any  other  man  to  be 
called  the  father.''  ^ 

Saw-IMill. — As  soon  as  the  town  was  fairly  or- 
ganized measures  were  taken  in  the  following  action 
for  the  establishment  of  a  saw-mill: 

"  1656,  July  Day  ye  third.  At  a  Public  meeting  of  the  whole  town, 
it  is  Granted  to  Mr.  Samuel  Adams  in  Considoration  of  Setting  up  a 
Saw-mill :  and  thereby  Supliing  the  Town  with  Boards  at  three  Shillings 
the  hundred,  or  the  Sawing  of  one  Board  log  for  the  providing  and 
bringing  of  another  to  be  Redy  to  work  by  the  next  March  ensuing.  In 
consideration  A\'hereof  it  is  hereby  Granted  to  the  Sd  Mr.  Adams  to  have 
the  Sum  of  Four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  Land  upon  the  South  Side  of 
the  meadow  belonging  to  the  Sd  Mr.  Adams,  called  brook  meadow  ;  Far- 
ther that  the  Sd  Mr.  Adams  Shall  have  Liberty  to  make  use  of  the  Pines 
upon  the  Common.  And  to  hold  the  foreSd  Land  to  him  and  his  heirs 
for  ever." 

A  further  grant  of  one  hundred  acres  was  made  in 
consideration  of  Mr.  Adams  erecting  a  corn-mill. 
Later  the  town  gave  him  liberty  to  set  flood-gates  at 
Heart  Pond. 

This  mill  was  upon  Great  Brook,  about  two  miles 
southeast  of  the  centre  of  the  town,  where  Russell's 
mills  now  are. 

The  difficulties  which  these  pioneers  experienced 
in  maintaining  themselves  in  this  wilderness  is  indi- 
cated in  their  petition  for  an  extension  of  their 
grant. 

"7th.3mo.j  1656. 

"  The  humbell  petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Chelmsford  sheweth  that 
■wheareas  this  honoured  Courtt  hath  fformerly  giuen  them  a  sertayn 
tractt  of  land  which  we  thankefuly  acsept  of,  and  wee  thought  it  to 
haue  binn  sofitient  and  Conuenient  for  a  plantatyon,  but  by  reason  of 
the  stonines  of  sum  part  and  the  barones  of  another  part  there  of,  we 


1  Transcript. 


2  risk. 


weare  Constrained  to  set  off  our  habitatyons  on  one  corner  of  our 
bounds  which  was  only  Conuenient  for  that  vse,  and  so  wee  have  vna- 
uoidably  p\it  our  selues  vp  on  straights  because  now  our  setuation  is 
neare  vpon  our  north  east  line,  wheare  wee  haue  no  outlett  for  our  Cat- 
tell  to  feed  on,  may  it  please,  therefore,  this  honoured  Courtt  to  take  this 
our  Condityon  in  to  Consideratyon,  and  to  grant  a  small  parsill  of  land 
from  our  north  east  line  downe  to  merimack  Riuer,  and  so  bownded  by 
the  sayd  Riuer  aboutt  three  mills,  and  so  to  run  vp  on  a  south  west  line 
so  as  that  wee  woold  not  bee  any  hindrance  to  Graiitou  plantatyon  : 
May  it  please  this  honoured  Courtt  to  graunt  petytion  how  euer  your  pe- 
tisionors  will  Continualy  Remayne  praying  for  a  blesing  vpon  all  your 
waity  affaires. 

"  Isack  lerned, 
"  Thomas  ^ddams, 
"Jo  ffiske:  " Simon  Tompson, 

"Edward  Spaulding, 
"Beniamin  buterfild, 
"  William  fletcher 
"  William  vnderwood, 
"  in  the  name  &  on  the  Behalfe  of  y«  Towne." 

Some  misapprehension  has  been  occasioned  by  the 
expression  in  this  petition  "  our  situation  is  near  upon 
our  north  east  line."  The  centre  of  population  was 
at  the  meeting-house,  which  stood  upon,  or  near,  the 
site  of  the  present  Unitarian  Church ;  and  as  the 
town  extended  westward  to  Groton,  and  not  as  far 
northward  as  the  present  North  Village,  it  will  be 
seen  that  what  is  now  the  centre  of  the  town  was  then 
the  northeast  section. 

That  "  we  have  no  outlet  for  our  cattle  to  feed  on," 
while  there  were  but  twenty  or  thirty  families  to  oc- 
cupy such  a  large  extent  of  territory,  was  owning  to 
its  physical  conditions.  It  was  covered  by  forest  ex- 
cept upon  the  meadows  which  skirted  the  streams,  or 
where  fires  may  have  swept  through  leaving  spaces 
where  the  wild  grasses  would  spring  up,  or  where  the 
"  barroness "  of  the  sandy  plain  was  incapable  of 
supporting  vegetation. 

Eliot  had  petitioned  about  the  same  time  for  an 
extension  of  the  Indian  grant,  and  the  answer  of  the 
Court  was  to  both  petitions,  viz.: 

"In  Answer  to  this  Peticon  and  Allso  that  part  of  m'.  Eliot's  Peticon 
respecting  An  Interagrement  of  land,  vpon  Conference  with  the  Com- 
ittee  who  layd  out  the  bounds  of  Chelmsford  and  perusal  of  a  deicrip- 
con,  A  plott  of  the  sayd  plantacons  and  Allso  of  the  Track  of  land  now  by 
both  parts  Peticoned  for :  Wee  Apprehend  it  requisite  that  the  Indian 
grant  be  extended  A  mile  from  the  North  East  Angle  or  corner  bound 
of  Chelmsford  Abutting  on  Merrimack  and  Patucket  Eastward,  taking 
in  John  Sagamor's  planting  ground.  And  the  end  of  the  said  mile  to 
determine  the  Indain  plantacon.  And  for  the  rest  of  the  land  [in 
behalf  of  both  towns — ]  Peticoned  for,  that  Chelmsford  South  and 
North  line  Abutting  on  Tadmuck,  be  extended  from  the  Northweast 
Angle  or  Corner  three  Miles  north  :  so  as  it  pass  not  Merrimack  riuer. 
And  from  thence  to  run  A  parralell  line,  with  the  East  and  west  line  of 
Chelmsford,  vntill  it  meete  with  Slerimack  Riuer.  And  that  the  whole 
Track  of  land  so  taken  in,  be  and  remayne  In  Comunitie  vnto  the 
Towns  of  Chelmsford  and  the  Indian  Town  called  Patuckett  for  all  vses. 

"  21th  S"""  1656.  "  Daniel  GooKiN, 

"  Joseph  Hills, 
"  John  W^iswall. 

"  The  Deputyes  approve  of  the  returne  of  the  Comittee  in  answer  to 
this  petition  desiringe  the  consent  of  o''  hono^J  magist'  hereto, 

"  Williasi  Tobeey,  Cleric. 

"  Consented  to  by  y»  magist',  Edward  Rawson,  Secrety." 

(Copy  from  original  record  in  the  archives  at  State-House,  by  David 
Pulsifer.) 

The  dotted  line  on  the  plan  shows  the  territory 
petitioned  for.     A  portion  of  this  was  granted  exclu- 


244 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


sively  to  the  Indians,  and  in  the  remainder  they  were 
given  equal  privileges  with  the  people  of  Chelmsford. 
This  arrangement,  as  might  be  expected,  proved 
"prejudicial  to  the  mutual  peace  of  the  said  planta- 
tion," and  in  1660  the  Court  granted  permission  for 
an  exchange  of  land  Avith  the  Indians.  By  this  the 
Indians  gained  some  land  formerly  held  by  Chelms- 
ford, and  relinquished  to  their  white  neighbors  all  to 
the  north  of  the  Chelmsford  line  that  had  been  peti- 
tioned for  in  1656.  The  agreement  was  signed  by 
James  Parker,  William  Felther  (Fletcher),  and  Tho. 
Hincksman,  trustees  for  the  Indians  and  by  John 
EUot,  "  in  witness  of  my  approbation." 

Appended  was   "  the  names  of  y»  cheife  inhabitants  of  Pmatucket, 
testifying  theire  consent  and  sattisfaction  in  this  deed: 
"  The  niarke  Puntahhun,  John  Tohatowon. 

"Themarke  Kussinanscut. 

"Themarkeof  Pannobotiquis. 

"  The  m^ke  of  Nomphon. 

"  The  m'ke  of  Peter. 

"Them'keof  Nonnoit. 

"The  m'ke  of  Wompannooiin." 

Petition  to  Trade  With  Indians. — The  follow- 
ing petition  for  the  privilege  of  trading  with  the 
Indians  probably  contains  the  names  of  nearly  all 
the  men  then  residing  in  the  town  : 

"  Chelmsford,  May  17  :  '58.  To  the  honored  Coart  Assembled  at  Bos- 
ton. 

"The  humble  petistion  the  Inbabetants  of  the  towne  ofif  Chelmsford 
Sheweth  ;  that  we  have  as  god  by  his  providen  [haveing  despoased  off 
uss  with  ow«  famelies  into  this  Remoat  Corner  of  the  wildernes  ;  whare 
not  with  StandRg  the  improvement  of  all  Lawfull  Liberties  and  Advan- 
tages put  into  ow"  hands  wee  have  and  doe  find  as  the  State  of  things 
now  standeth  much  dificalte  '"  :  nay  imposebile[  ]  of  procuering  such 
nesesarie  suplye  as  boath  church  and  familie  ocations  doe  call  for  to  the 
great  hasard  boath  of  uss  and  ow's  as  wee  dout  not  but  y  wisdoms  are 
eensable  off  which  dificalltie  is  much  increased  to  uss  by  beeing  prohibe- 
ted  from  tradeing  with  the  indiens  which  we  doe  conseiue  to  bee  ow« 
Lawful  Liberte:  ow*  humble  Request  tharfore  is  that  y  boners  would 
bee  pleased  to  take  this  case  into  y»  consederation  :  and  grant  yow»  pe- 
tiscioners  thare  Lawfall  Liberte  which  wee  conceive  ought  not  to  bee 
Menopolised  inasmuch  as  it  is  no  nue  inuention,  and  that  the  Lord 
would  kepe  boath  you  and  yows  in  his  feare  and  truth  wee  yow'  petis- 
cioners  shall  for  ever  praye  wee  doe  further  in[  ]  your  Uoner  to  Rate  for 
this  inserted  Leter  to  bee  ow«  townes  brand  or  Leter  of  marks  as  Law 
injoyneth  vss  :  C  : 

"  Jamas  Parker,  Thomas  Adams,  Josiah  Richardson.'.William  Fletcher, 
Edward  Spalden,  John  Fiske,  Henry  Farwell,  Georg  byam,  Berabin 
butterfild,  Tho.  Chamberlin,  Beniamin  butterfield,  Roberd  Procter, 
Edward  Kempe,  Daniel  Bloget,  Edman  Chamberlin,  James  Blud,  John 
Spalden,  Joseph  Parker,  Roberd  Fletcher,  Samewell  Foster,  Joseph  Gil- 
son,  Sames  Hildreth,  William  Underwood,  John  Shiple,  Richard  Hil- 
dreth,  John  Nutting,  Abraham  Parker,  Edward  Spaldeu,  John  Shiple, 
Joseph  Parkis,  Samewell  Kempe." 

In  1665  the  line  was  more  definitely  established 
between  Chelmsford  and  Wamesit.  The  agreement 
was  signed  by  the  following  Indians,  who  were 
"  present  and  consented :  nob  how,  John  line,  misstik 
george,ffrance3,  Sameull  alias  manatoques.ould  roger." 
The  line  began  at  the  Concord  River,  where  Billerica 
and  the  Indian  grant  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
joined;  from  there  "a  streight  line  untill  you  come 
ouer  the  River  meadow" — "thence  westward  cross 
the  high  ridge  to  a  pine  in  the  bottom" — "thence 
westward  " — "  thence  it  turns  to  the  great  swamp." 

It  is  impossible  to  follow  the  line  accurately,  but 


the  language  over  the  river  meadow  and  "cross  the 
high  ridge  to  a  pine  in  the  bottoms  "  seems  to  describe 
the  lay  of  the  land  west  of  the  Lowell  City  Farm 
buildings.  From  there  it  went  to  the  swamp  through 
which  runs  the  bed  of  the  old  Middlesex  Canal,  and 
from  there  north  to  the  river  where  Baldwin  Street 
terminates. 

In  these  exchanges  of  land  with  the  Indians,  it  is 
plain  that  the  superior  shrewdness  of  the  whites 
gained  them  the  larger  share.  Some  compensation 
may,  however,  have  been  made  to  the  Indians,  as  in 
1665  a  rate  was  levied  of  £31  17s.  Sd.  "for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  plantation  of  y^  Indians." 

Roads  and  Residences. — It  is  interesting  to 
trace  the  early  roads,  as  it  enables  us  to  determine 
the  lines  of  settlement.  As  we  have  seen,  when  this 
territory  was  first  explored  the  only  land  mentioned 
as  under  cultivation  was  the  Indian's  corn-field  upon 
Robins'  Hill.  With  that  exception  the  territory 
which  these  men  surveyed  from  this  eminence,  was 
probably  an  almost  unbroken  forest,  except  upon  the 
meadows  which  skirted  the  streams.  The  first  inhab- 
itants could  not  therefore  erect  their  dwellings  in 
villages,  as  social  considerations  and  mutual  safety 
would  prompt.  They  must  push  out  upon  the  borders 
of  the  meadows  or  wherever  they  could  find  food  for 
their  cattle.  Highways  were  necessary  to  enable 
them  to  go  from  house  to  house,  and  to  "  mill  and 
meeting-house."  At  first  these  were  little  more  than 
rude  paths  cut  through  the  forest,  some  of  which 
came  by  continued  use  to  be  established  highways^ 
without  any  formal  action  of  the  town. 

The  road  from  William  Fletcher's  house  to  the 
meeting-house  passed  around  in  front  of  the  present 
residences  of  Mrs.  E.  B.  Worthen  and  Mr.  D.  A. 
Bussell.  There  were  perhaps  half  a  dozen  families, 
besides  the  minister,  living  near  the  meeting-house. 
These  were  Wm.  Fletcher,  John  Bates,  who  lived 
near  Mrs.  Worthen's.  Dea.  Cornelius  Waldo,  whose 
house  stood  in  Mr.  Bussell's  garden  (Dea.  Waldo 
came  from  Ipswich  about  1665).  Stephen  Pierce,  a 
tailor,  and  Abraham  Parker  were  on  the  south  side 
of  the  brook.  (Parker  and  his  sons  afterwards  built 
the  first  mill  on  that  stream.) 

"  Stony  Brook  path  "  started  at  John  Bates'  (now 
Worthen's)  and  extended  toward  what  is  now  Dis- 
trict No.  7.  Upon  this  road  was  John  Perham,  upon 
land  which  has  continued  to  be  occupied  by  his  de- 
scendants to  the  present  time. 

The  "town-way  to  the  mill  "  is  now  South  Street. 
It  has  been  straightened  from  time  to  time.  It  passed 
around  before  the  present  residence  of  C.  E.  A.  Bart- 
lett,  and  made  a  turn  before  J.  E.  Warren's  and,  after 
crossing  Farley's  Brook,  swung  around  to  the  east  to 
avoid  the  hill.  Upon  this  road,  besides  Samuel 
Adams,  the  miller,  lived  Edward  Spaulding  ^  (one  of 
the  Wenham  Company)  at  the  present  Sanford  Hazen 
place. 

>  Family  tradition. 


CHELMSFORD. 


245 


Moses  Barron  lived  near  Mr.  Charles  Sweetser's, 
and  Joseph  Warren  located,  before  1700,  upon  the 
place  which  still  continues  in  the  possession  of  his 
descendants.  It  is  said  that  the  first  burial  in  town 
was  upon  his  land.^ 

The  Billerica  road  was  the  "  road  to  the  Bay."  It 
was  the  line  of  travel  to  Boston,  for  Groton  and  Lan- 
caster, as  well  as  this  town,  and  these  towns  were  re- 
quired to  help  support  the  bridge  across  the  Concord 
River  in  Billerica.  Henry  Farwell  lived  on  this  road, 
I  think,  where  Timothy  Adams  lives.  The  road 
which  runs  from  the  town  farm  over  the  Golden  Cove 
and  Carolina  Plain  to  Middlesex,  was  the  "  country 
way  to  Merrimac."  This  terminated  at  Poor-Man's 
Bridge,  which  was  near  where  Westford  Street,  in 
Lowell,  now  crosses  Black  Brook.  It  was  extended 
to  the  river,  corresponding  to  what  is  now  Baldwin 
Street,  probably  in  1673.  The  following  is  the  report 
of  the  committee : 

"William  Underwood,  William  fletcher  and  Abraham  Parker  being 
appointed  a  comittee  to  Lay  out  a  highway  for  the  Inhabitants  on  the 
other  side  of  Meremack  do  Determine  that  it  shall  begin  at  the  Country- 
way  at  poor  man's  bridge,  and  so  along  between  the  two  swamps  and 
over  William  Underwood's  Meadow,  all  along  bounded  by  marked 
trees  on  both  sides  ;  and  so  Euneth  below  Mr.  Hinchman's  Dam  ;  and  so 
to  the  Indian  Line  to  answer  the  Country  Road  at  merimack  and  on  this 
Bide." 

A  number  of  families  were  located  on  the  borders 
of  the  Indian  land,  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
city  of  Lowell,  in  the  vicinity  of  Stedman,  Baldwin 
and  AVest  Pine  Streets.  Two  foot-ways  were  laid  out 
in  that  section  in  1677,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
copy  of  the  record  :  - 

"By  appointment  of  the  Townsmen,  there  is  two  footways  Laid  out 
through  the  Land  of  John  Wright ;  The  one  begining  at  the  stile  next  to 
Jerahmeel  Bowers,  and  so  to  the  cart  bridge,  and  then  below  the  or- 
chard to  the  Land  of  Jonathan  Butterfield;  and  then  close  by  the  fence 
of  John  Wright  up  to  the  Drift- way,  and  the  other  Begining  against 
John  Shepley's  and  then  Straight  to  the  Driftway  at  Jonathan  Butter- 
field's  Bam  ;  by  William  Underwood's  and  Jerathmeel  Bowers'." 

Jerathmel  Bowers  lived  where  Sewal  Bowers  now 
resides.  The  cart-bridge  was  probably  over  Black 
Brook.  Bowers  was  a  man  of  considerable  wealth 
for  the  times.  He  removed  to  Groton  two  or  three 
years  before  his  death,  in  1724. 

John  Shepley  came  to  Chelmsford  with  Mr.  Fisk 
in  1655.  (His  house  and  land  in  Wenham  he  sold  to 
a  brother  of  Mr.  Fisk.)  He  is  an  ancestor  of  the 
Perhams  through  the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  Lydia, 
to  John  Perham,  in  1664.  His  son  John  sold,  in 
1698,  and  removed  to  Groton.  The  Indians  afterwards 
massacred  all  the  Shepleys  in  Groton  save  a  boy, 
John,  sixteen  years  old,  who  was  taken  captive  and 
kept  four  years,  after  which  he  returned,  and  from 
him  descended  all  the  Shepleys  in  that  vicinity. 

Other  residents  in  this  section  were  :  John  Wright, 
Thomas  Sewal,  Jonathan  Butterfield,  John  Spaulding, 
Anthony  Harker,  James  Richardson,  Joseph  Park- 
hurst  (son  of  George,  of  Watertown),  and  Maj.  Thom- 


1 E.  H.  Warren. 


'Transcript,  p.  63. 


as  Hinchman.  Capt.  John  Webb,  alias  Evered,  or 
Everett,  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Merrimack,  near 
the  present  Chelmsford  line.  He  was  a  man  of  prom- 
inence, was  the  first  deputy  to  the  Court,  officer  in  the 
military  and  an  extensive  land-owner.  (He  owned 
Tyng's  Island.)  He  was  disfranchised  by  the  Court 
for  unchaste  conduct,  but  afterwards  forgiven  and  re- 
stored to  his  political  privileges  and  allowed  to  hold 
his  military  office. 

Henry  Bowtall,  or  Bowtwell,  lived  near  the  present 
Lowell  line,  on  Steadman  Street.  The  Dunstable 
road  entered  this  as  the  following  record  shows : 

"The  :  1":  Day  of  January  :  1674  :  Levet  Thomas  Hinchman  and 
Leret  Samuel  Foster,  being  appointed  by  the  Town  to  Joyn,  with  Levet 
:  Wheeler  and  Abraham  Parker,  the  Committee  to  Lay  out  the  Country 
way  from  Dunstable  to  Chelmsford :  They  do  Joyntly  agree  on  both  par- 
ties :  That  the  Way  shall  in  Chelmsford  bounds  begin  at  Mr.  Ting's 
Farm,  and  so  to  be  six  polls  wide :  And  so  to  continue  as  by  marked 
Trees  down  to  Jerathmeel  Bowers'  Land  :  and  so  to  Black  brook  in  to 
the  Country  way  that  comes  from  Merimack." 

This  corresponded  to  the  road  which  passes  through 
North  Chelmsford.  It  turned  eastward  near  Drum 
Hill,  over  a  road  now  little  used  and  entered  the  "  way 
that  comes  from  Merrimac,"  near  the  present  West- 
ford  Street.  The  travel  to  Bo.ston,  from  Dunstable 
and  the  country  above,  passed  over  this  line  for  a  long 
term  of  years. 

The  Beaver  Brook  meadows  attracted  a  number  of 
families  to  the  section  which  is  now  School  District  5. 
The  first  permanent  road  in  town  which  was  recorded 
was  in  this  section,  viz. : 

"  January  :  "  :  1659. 
"  George  Biam  and  Thomas  Barrett  are  appointed  a  comittee  to 
state  the  High-way  that  gos  to  Tadmuck  before  ThoniEis  Chamberlain's 
hous :  The  tree  at  his  Hog's  Coat  is  concluded  one  bound,  and  so  to  Run 
his  due  bredth  acording  to  order,  towards  the  Brook  Cald  Beaver 
brook." 

Thomas  Chamberlin  lived  a  few  rods  east  of  the 
Hunt  place.  The  road  from  there  goes  across  Tad- 
muck  Swamp  on  the  north  side  of  Heart  Pond.  This 
record  presupposes  a  road  to  the  meeting-house 
from  that  point.  Thomas  Chamberlin  was  a  man  of 
wealth.  He  owned  one-third  of  the  Dudley  farm  of 
1500  acres,  in  Billerica.  Others  in  the  neighborhood 
were  Edmund  Chamberlin,  Richard  Hildreth  (from 
Woburn,  died  1693).  The  Court  granted  him  150  acres 
of  land  because  of  his  "  necessitous  condition." 

George  Byam,  who  came  with  the  Wenham  Com- 
pany, in  1655,  settled  where  his  descendant,  George 
A.  Byam,  [now  resides.  The  farm  has  remained 
continuously  in  possession  of  the  family.  Arthur 
Warren  lived,  I  think,  where  B.  O.  Robbins'  house 
stands.  Jacob  Warren  lived  there  in  1711,  when  the 
road  was  laid  out  from  that  point  northward. 

The  way  to  "  Little  Tadmuck,"  early  referred  to  in 
descriptions  of  land  in  this  section,  start^t  the  house 
of  the  late  S.  C.  Hunt,  passes  the  No.  5  School- 
house,  and  on  towards  Chamberlin's  Corner,  in  West- 
ford.  This  was  probably  the  first  outlet  for  the 
Stony  Brook  lands. 

The   Sheehan    place  was  originally  occupied   by 


246 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


Adams.  Thomas  Adams  lived  at  the  Hayward  place. 
He  sold  to  Benjamin  Haywood  in  1726  and  removed 
to  Dunstable,  where  he  died  in  1746,  aged  seventy-one. 
The  farm  still  continues  in  the  Hayward  family. 
This  was  a  garrison-houae  and  may  have  been  occu- 
pied by  the  Haywards  earlier  than  the  above  date,  as 
"  Mr.  Nathaniel  Hayward  and  his  man,  with  two 
souldiers  there  posted,"  occupied  a  garrison-house  in 
1692.  The  Otis  Adams  place  was  occupied  by  Samuel 
Chamberlin  at  an  early  day.  The  house  stood  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  spring  from  the  present  dwell- 
ing. 

The  Pine  Hill  road  was  not  formally  laid  out  till 
1755,  although  it  was  probably  in  use  as  a  means  of 
access  to  Flaggy  Meadow  at  an  earlier  day.  An  old 
cellar,  between  G.  A.  Byam  and  E.  E.  Dutton's  indi- 
cates an  early  habitation  upon  that  road. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  record  of  the  Groton 
road,  which  passed  through  this  section.  A  portion 
of  it  was  probably  already  in  use  as  a  road  to  the  meet- 
ing-house : 

"Sa  1  month  1662-3. 
"  Thomas  Adams  and  Josiab  Richardson  being  chosen  a  committee  to 
Joyn  with  Groton  committee  to  Lay  out  a  High-way  from  Town  to  Town 
the  work  is  performed  by  them  and  the  way  is  Laid  out  from  Beaver 
Brook  Bridge  over  the  North  side  of  Robbins-hill  and  thence  through 
Bichard  Hildxeth's  yard  and  so  to  the  west  end  of  Hart  pond  over  the 
swamp  and  so  to  Thomas  Chamberlin's  meadow  and  so  on  towards 
Groton  on  the  east  side  of  Tadmuck  great  meadow." 

The  road  which  passes  around  on  the  south  and 
west  sides  of  Eobins  Hill,  and  enters  the  above  road 
at  John  Byam's  was  laid  out  soon  after  as  follows  : 
":  7th:  8:  month::  1673:  Laid  out  by  the  selectmen 
the  Day  above  for  the  use  of  the  Town  a  high-way 
which  is  bounded  Between  Henry  Gidleys  Lott  and 
John  Blanchards  meadow  and  so  all  along  between  the 
meadow  and  Robbins  hill  Runing  into  the  way  that 
comes  from  George  Biams  to  the  meeting-house." 
This  accommodated  Gidley,  who  lived  at  what  is  now 
the  Fay  place,  and  Thomas  Barrett,  who  was  at  what 
is  now  Chas.  W.  Byam's.  Probably  other  farms  had 
paths  leading  into  this  road.  Mr.  E.  F.  Dupee's  farm 
and  Andrew  H.  Park's  are  both  said  to  have  been  oc- 
cupied by  Barretts  at  this  time.  The  latter  was  a  gar- 
rison-house. 

The  meadows  upon  Great  Brook  early  attracted  set- 
tlements to  the  southern  quarter  of  the  town,  in  what 
is  now  Carlisle.  In  this  neighborhood  lived  John 
Barrett,  George  Robbins,  Thomas  Cory  and  Ambrose 
Swallow,  and  probably  others.  In  1671  the  town  laid 
out  a  highway  "  for  the  Inhabitants  of  Great  Brook 
and  others  to  travel  to  mill  and  meeting-hous." 

Settlements  soon  pushed  westward  into  the  Stony 
Brook  Valley,  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Westford 
Depot,  on  tjjie  Stony  Brook  Railroad.  John  Snow, 
Joseph  Parkhurst  (who  had  removed  from  his  former 
place  of  abode),  Joseph  Butterfield  and  others  were 
there  located.  The  time  of  the  laying  out  of  their 
road  is  uncertain,  as  the  original  record  is  not  dated; 
but  the  committee  to  lay  it  out  was  appointed  in  1696. 


It  was  called  the  "  Stony  Brook  highway  to  the  meet- 
ing-house." 

A  road  was  already  in  use  from  the  meeting-house 
to  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  the  No.  7  School-house. 
From  there  it  passed  over  Francis  Hill  by  the  house 
of  Joseph  Keyes  to  John  Snow's.  A  portion  of  this 
road  on  the  west  slope  of  Francis  Hill  has  been  dis- 
continued. Another  road  was  laid  out  at  the  same 
time  leading  into  this  from  Arthur  Crouch's  house, 
"  and  by  the  houses  at  Little  Tadmuck."  This  com- 
pleted the  first  road  from  what  is  now  Westford  Centre 
to  Chelmsford  Centre.  Arthur  Crouch  lived  upon 
Tadmuck  Hill  as  early  as  1680.  He  was  probably  the 
first  person  to  erect  his  dwelling  upon  this  beautiful 
hill,  now  crowned  by  the  charming  village  of  Westford. 
Samuel  Cleveland  was  granted  land  the  following 
year  upon  the  east  side  of  Tadmuck  Hill,  with  the 
privilege  of  damming  the  swamp  upon  his  land.  He 
was  a  son  of  Moses  Cleaveland,  of  Woburn,  who  was 
the  ancestor  of  Grover  Cleveland,  one  of  the  only  two 
persons  now  living  who  have  completed  a  term  in  the 
high  ofl5ce  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

Samuel  Burge,  John  Spaulding,  Joseph  Spaulding, 
Joshua  Fletcher  and  Benjamin  Spalding  were  chosen 
fence-viewers  for  Stony  Brook  in  1682,  '83  and  '84. 
These  records  indicate  that  there  were  considerable 
settlements  in  this  section  at  an  earlier  date  than  has 
been  generally  supposed. 

Josiah  Richardson,  one  of  the  original  proprietors, 
provided  a  shelter  for  his  family,  at  first,  by  digging 
into  the  bank.  This  farm  is  one  of  the  very  few 
which  has  remained  continuously  in  one  family. 
Mr.  Edward  F.  Richardson  is  the  present  proprietor. 

The  Groton  road  (1663)  passed  through  what  is  now 
the  south  part  of  Westford,  then  called  "great  tad- 
muck," and  settlements  pressed  in  that  direction. 
Several  Chelmsford  names  appear  in  a  petition  in  1711, 
for  a  township  in  Nashoba  (now  Littleton),  which 
had  been  abandoned  by  the  Indians,  and  a  short  time 
after  a  number  of  families  living  in  that  vicinity  were 
united  to  Littleton  for  religious  worship. 

The  method  which  governed  the  proprietors  of  the 
town  in  their  land  distribution  is  not  described  in  the 
records.  The  first  book  of  proprietor's,  records,  Allen 
states,  was  burned  about  1715,  with  the  house  which 
contained  them. 

The  lands  not  taken  up  were  called  "common 
lands''  or  "  towns'  common." 

There  were  four  divisions  of  the  common  lands. 

New  settlers  were  admitted  by  vote  and  granted  a 
quantity  of  land  for  a  house-lot,  and  the  town  granted 
land  from  time  to  time  for  the  encouragement  of  use- 
ful trades. 

The  cattle  were  allowed — subject  to  certain  re- 
strictions— to  range  over  the  town's  common. 

The  different  lierds  were  under  the  care  of  the  field- 
drivers,  who  kept  the  cattle  from  straying  away  to 
become  the  prey  to  wolves. 

This  is  probably  the  origin  of  this  oflice,  which  is  now 


CHELMSFORD. 


247 


usually  bestowed  good-naturedly  upon  the  newest 
benedicts.  The  limits  of  the  different  ranges  are  de- 
fined in  the  following  order,  which  is  interesting,  as  it 
indicates  the  early  lines  of  settlement  : 

"  7  :  1  :  71  its  ordered  Concerning  hording  of  Cattell  that  from  Cros 
Bridge  to  henry  Boutells  shall  bee  one  herd."  (Boutell  lived  near  the 
Lowell  line  on  Stedinan  Street.) 

"2  From  Cros  bridge  to  Moses  Barrons  Shall  bee  another  herd." 
(Barron  lived  near  Chas.  Sweetser's,  on  South  Street.) 

"  3  From  Thoramas  Barrets  to  Kobertt  procters  and  John  barke  Shall 
be  an  other  herd."  (Barrett's  was  at  C.  W.  Byam's,  and  Proctor  was 
near  the  old  .South  Chelmsford  School-house.i ) 

"4  From  George  Biams  to  Arther  warrens  shall  he  another  herd  and 
that  if  Any  person  shall  neglectt  to  put  ther  Catell  to  the  herd  they  shall 
pay  th«r  proportion  of  herding  and  twelve  pence  a  boast  over  and  Above." 
(This  fourth  herd  was  in  District  Five,  probably  from  Geo.  A.  Byam's  to 
B.  0.  Bobbins'.) 

A  former  vote  passed  in  1667  provided  that  "  such 
as  Live  remoat  shall  have  Liberty  to  choose  their 
heards  and  have  Cows  and  working  cattell  exempted." 

Swine  were  also  subjected  to  regulations,  some  of 
which  must  have  been  very  annoying  to  piggy. 
"  Every  inhabitant  being  an  householder  shall  have 
liberty  to  keep  two  swine  on  the  common,"  and  a  per- 
son holding  a  ten-acre  lot  could  keep  four;  "and  so 
every  man  according  to  his  enlarged  lot."  To  prevent 
a  too  free  use  of  piggy's  snout  it  was  "  ordered  that 
all  swine  above  three  months  old  Shall  bee  suffitiently 
Ringed  in  the  midell  of  the  nose  Constantly  youcked 
from  the  tenth  day  of  Aprill  until  the  twentith  day 
of  October." 

Hog-reeves  were  chosen  "  to  oversee  swine  and  keep 
them  in  order." 

Newfidd. — The  interval  land  along  the  Merrimack 
north  of  Stony  Brook,  consisting  of  214  acres,  was 
fenced  as  early  as  1659  and  used  as  a  common  pasture 
by  twenty-two  proprietors.  It  was  called  Newfield, 
and  that  name  finally  became  applied  to  all  that 
section  of  the  town.  The  pond  now  called  Leeches' 
Pond  is  called  Newfield  Pond  in  the  old  records.  An 
eddy  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  field  still  retains 
the  name. 

Difficult  as  were  the  conditions  of  existence  in  this 
new  settlement  the  people  maintained  a  lively  interest 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  Colony. 

When  Charles  II.  sent  a  couple  of  ships-of-war 
with  400  troops  to  Boston  Harbor  in  the  summer  of 
1664,  with  commissioners  to  look  after  the  affairp  of 
the  New  World,  and  the  Massachusetts'  charter 
seemed  in  danger,  Chelmsford  was  among  the  towns 
which  sent  petitions  to  the  Court  testifying  to  their 
good  content  and  satisfaction  in  the  present  govern- 
ment, in  Church  and  Commonwealth,  and  their  reso- 
lution to  be  assisting  and  encouraging  the  same,  and 
desiring  that  all  means  might  be  used  for  the  con- 
tinuance and  preservation  thereof.^ 

After  twenty  years  of  faithful  service  the  aged 
pastor.  Rev.  John  Fisk,  became  physically  unable  to 
carry  the  burdens  of  his  labors  alone,  and  upon  "  The 


13  Day  of  the  10  mo.  1675,  att  a  general  mitting  of 
inhabitants  of  Chelmsford  was  voated  as  foloeth  : 

"  !'■'■  in  consideration  of  Mr.  Fiske'  Age  and  in- 
fermitis  Acompanny  the  same  ther  is  ned  of  sum 
hilpe  to  goine  with  Mr.  Fiske  in  the  worke  of  the 
minestry. 

"  2'y  that  besides  the  eighty  pounds  formerly 
granted  yerly  to  the  minestry  ther  shall  be  forty 
pounds  more  Raised  yearly  for  the  obtaining  of  Mr. 
Clarke  to  be  a  help  in  the  worke  aforesaid  if  bee  may 
bee  Attained."  Mr.  Fiske  now  rapidly  declined  in 
health.  "  On  the  second  Lord's  day  of  his  confine- 
ment by  illness,  after  he  had  been  many  Lord's  days 
carried  to  church  in  a  chair,  and  preached  as  in 
primitive  times,  sitting,  ...  on  January  14, 1676, 
he  saw  a  rest  from  his  labors."  ^ 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  no  stone  reveals  to 
us  the  spot  where  the  remains  of  this  beloved  man 
are  interred. 

Rev.  Thomas  Clarke  succeeded  Mr.  Fisk  in  the 
ministry. 

The  following  contract  with  Mr.  Clarke  is  as  it 
appears  in  the  original  record,  page  144 : 

"Articles  of  agreement  bettwine  Mr.  Thomas  Clarke  and  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Chelmsford  in  order  to  Mr.  Clarks  Settelment  in  the  ministry 
for  time  to  com  in  Chelmford  are  as  foloeth  : 

"1  firstly  it  is  agred  beetwine  both  parties  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Chelmsford  do  pay  yearly  to  the  said  Clarke  the  just  and  full  sum  of 
eightey  pounds  in  maner  as  foloeth,  twenty  pounds  in  curent  mony 
and  sixtey  pounds  in  provisions;  viz.;  fortey  pounds  in  corn  of 
all  sortes  as  god  gives  and  the  other  twenty  pounds  in  porke,  Beefe  and 
other  flish  not  exseding  tow  pence,  halfe  peny  p  pound  more  over  its 
allso  Agred  that  the  towne  shall  soply  Mr.  Clarke  with  wood  sofitient 
for  his  family  use  yearly  which  is  by  Agrement  thirty  cord  yearly. 

"  2  secondly  it  is  also  agreed  that  the  said  towne  shallpay  sixty  pounds 
in  mony  towards  the  purchas  of  Corsers  land  lying  in  Chelmsford  and 
that  they  build  an  house  upon  the  said  laud  which  house  Shall  be  forty 
foott  in  length,  twenty  in  bredth,  fiveten  in  stud  and  a  ciching  adjoyn- 
ing  of  sixten  foott  Square  and  tene  foott  stud  provided  that  the  said 
Clarke  shall  pay  on  quarter  partt  of  what  this  bulding  shall  cost. 

"  3  Thirdly  it  is  agred  that  the  said  towne  make  an  Adition  to  the 
Salary  Above  stated  if  he  stand  in  ned  and  the  towne  be  Abell  ther  to. 

"  4  fourthly  that  the  selectt  men  shall  stand  in  gaged  yearly  to  the 
performance  of  the  above  Agreements  by  making  a  Rate  and  propor^ 
tiont  the  Inhabitants  his  partt  of  the  foresaid  sum  and  to  levey  the 
same. 

"  5  fifthly  its  agred  that  this  yearly  Salary  shall  be  paid  with  in  the 
year. 

"  Finaly  it  is  Agred  that  if  the  Said  M^  Clark  do  grow  [  ]  remov  and 
leave  the  worke  of  his  ministry  in  Chelmsford  then  the  said  land  and 
house  as  above  Shall  rettorne  into  the  hands  of  the  towne  of  Chelmsford 
they  paying  to  Mr.  Clarke  what  hee  hath  expendid  to  wards  the  purehes 
and  bulding  and  bettering  the  Acomedatione  And  for  A  confermation 
of  this  Agrement  As  above  this  fifth  Day  of  the  twelfth  month  one 
thousand  sixe  hundred  seventy  and  Seven  wee  have  sett  to  our  hands. 

" Thomas  Clarke 
"  Sam'l  Adams,  Clerk,  in  the  name  of  the  inhabitants." 

This  agreement  was  ratified  by  the  town  with  a 
"full  voatt  "  at  a  general  meeting  the  same  day. 

Rev.  Thomas  Clarke  was  born  in  Boston  about  the 
year  1652.  He  graduated  from  Harvard  University 
in  1670." 

He  served  for  a  time  in  the  army  at  Narragansett 


1  Family  tradition. 


■  Kecerds  of  Mass. 


3  Allen. 


4  Allen. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


during  Philip's  War,  probably  in  the  capacity  of 
chaplain. 

His  name  appears  to  an  acknowledgment,  in  1679, 
that  the  town  had  fulfilled  its  agreement  in  regard  to 
building  the  parsonage. 

This  house  stood  near  the  site  of  the  passenger 
station  of  the  Old  Colony  Kailroad.  In  1692  several 
families  were  assigned  to  his  house  in  case  of  danger 
from  the  Indians.  When  the  house  was  moved  to  its 
present  position  and  remodeled,  several  years  since, 
the  walls  of  a  portion  of  it  were  found  to  be  protected 
by  thick  plank. 

Witchcraft. — The  witchcraft  delusion  which 
swept  over  the  country  occurred  during  Mr.  Clarke's 
ministry.  One  case  occurred  in  Chelmsford,  and  it 
was  dealt  with  by  Mr.  Clarke  with  such  moderation 
and  good  sense  that  no  such  disastrous  consequences 
resulted  as  were  witnessed  in  some  of  the  towns  of 
the  Colony.  The  following  is  the  account  as  related 
in  Mather's  "  Magnalia:  " 

"  There  was  at  Chelmsford  an  afflicted  person,  that  in  her  fits  cried 
out  against  a  woman,  a  neighbor,  which  Mr.  Clark,  the  minister  of  the 
Gospel  there,  could  not  believe  to  be  guilty  of  such  a  crime,  and  it 
hapned  while  that  woman  milked  her  cow,  the  cow  struck  her  with 
one  horn  upon  her  forehead  and  fetched  blood  ;  and  while  she  was  thus 
bleeding  a  spectre  in  her  likeness  appeared  to  the  party  afflicted  ;  who, 
pointing  at  the  spectre,  one  struck  at  the  plase,  and  the  afflicted  said, 
'you  have  made  her  forehead  bleed  ;  '  hereupon  some  went  unto  the 
woman  and  found  her  forehead  bloody  and  acquainted  Mr.  Clark  of  it ; 
who  fortunate  went  to  the  woman  and  asked,  '  how  her  forehead  became 
bloody?'  and  ^he  answered,  'by  a  blow  of  a  cowhorn,'  as  abovesaid  ; 
whereby  he  was  satisfied,  that  it  was  design  of  Satan  to  render  an  in- 
nocent person  suspected." — Mather's  "  3Iagnalia,"  vol.  2,  p.  478. 

In  1681  the  town  voted  to  purchase  a  bell  "  and 
hange  him  in  the  metting-house."  Previous  to  this 
a  drum  had  been  used  to  assemble  the  people.  A 
drum  was  bought  by  the  town  for  Henry  Farwell  in 
1659. 

The  ancient  method  of  noting  time,  by  the  shadow 
cast  by  the  sun,  is  recalled  by  the  record  of  a  sum 
■paid  to  John  Bates  "for  seting  the  dial."  The  same 
person  was  paid,  in  1698,  for  "  mending  the  Stoxs  " 
(stocks).  This  implement,  for  the  punishment  of  of- 
fenders, tradition  says,  stood  upon  the  Common  by 
the  old  ash-tree  near  the  monument. 

The  supply  of  wood  furnished  to  Mr.  Clarke  did 
not  prove  adequate,  and  in  1683  the  amount  was  in- 
creased to  forty  cords  yearly.  In  1688  his  salary  was 
increased  to  £100,  at  his  request. 

The  ministry  land  was  laid  out  in  1679,  "  by  the 
Towns  Gifte  and  order  was  laid  out  [for]  the  minis- 
try, and  for  that  only  use  for  ever  in  Chelmsford,  to 
say  thirty  acres  of  upland  and  swamp,  be  it  more  or 
less." 

The  Old  Burying-Ground  at  the  centre  of  the 
town,  was  first  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall  in  1717. 
About  ten  years  previous  to  that  date  the  town  had 
•protected  it  by  a  board  fence.  In  1790  the  old  wall 
was  replaced  by  a  more  substantial  one. 

A  few  rude  stones  and  some  tablets,  which  bear  the 
marks  of  having  been  placed  in  position  at  an  early 


date,  bear  no  mark  to  reveal  the  name  of  those  who 
rest  beneath.  The  inscriptions  here  given  are  among 
the  oldest,  or  are  otherwise  of  special  interest ; 


HERE  LYES  Y  BODY  OF  GRACE 
LIUEEMOAR  WIFE  TO  lOHN 
LIUERMOAR  AGED  75  YEARS 
DIED  THE  14  OF   lANUARY 
1690 

MARY  THE  WIFE 
OF  THOMAS 
CHAMBERLAINE 
AGED  88    DIED 
FEBRUARY    8 
1G92 

RICHARD 
HILDRETH 
AGED  88  YEAR' 
DIED  FEBRUARY 

23        1693 


He  was  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the  town,  as 
his  name  appears  among  the  petitioners  for  the  grant 
of  the  town  May  19,  1653. 


HERE  LYES  Y  BODY  OF 


CAP 


A 


lOSIAS 


RICHARDSON  AGED 
61  YEARS  DIED  THE 
22  OF    lULY  1695 

e 
HERE  LYES  Y  BODY 

OF  EZEKIEL 
RICHARDSON    AGED 

29  YEARS  DIED     • 
NOUEMBER    27 

1696 

HERE  LYES  Y  BODY  OF 
SAMUEL  FLETCHER 

AGED  65  YEARS 
DIED  DECEMBER  9 

1697 

HERB  LYES  Y  BODY  OF 
Deacon  CORNELIUS  WALDO 

AGED  75  YEARS 
DIED  JAN'  3  1700 
The  Memorj'  of 
the  just  is  blessed 


He  was  a  man  of  distinguished  usefulness.  His 
house  was  upon  Avhat  is  now  Mr.  David  BusseU's  gar- 
den. 


HERE  LYES  Y  BODY  OF 
DEACON  SAMUEL 
FOSTER  AGED     83 

6 

TEARS  DIED  lULY  Y 
10  1702 

HERE  LYETH 

T  BODY  OF  MAJOR 
THOMAS  HINCflMAN 
AGED  74  YEARS 


DEC, 


JULY  Y  17 

1703 


A  foot-stone  of  the  grave  beside  it  bears  the  name : 


M"?   ELIZABETH 
HINBSMAN 


CHELMSFORD. 


249 


Major  Henchman  was  one  of  the  first  settlers, 
coming  with  Rev.  John  Fisk  and  the  church  from 
Wenham.  He  was  an  extensive  land-holder  and  a 
prominent  citizen. 

The  following  is  the  epitaph  of  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Clark,  the  second  pastor  of  the  church  of  Chelms- 
ford: 


MEMENTO 
MOHI 


FUOIT 
HOBA. 


Huic  puluerl  Mandates  sunt 
Keliqiuse  Eevd"  Doni  Tho"  Clark 
Gregis  Cristi  Chelmsf : 
Pastoris  Ecimij,  qui  fide  & 
spe  Beatae  Resurrectionia  anima 
in  sinum  Gesu  Ecpiravit  Die 

VII  Decembr,  Anno  Dom 
MDCCIV  &  stalls  suae  LII. 

The  following  receipt  shows  the  cost  of  the  above 
monument : 

"Chelmsford  17""  Nov.  1708 
"  Keeievd   of  Mr.   William   Fletcher  the  sum   of   fifty  shillings    in 
moiiey  to  be  bestowed  for  a  monument  over  the  grave  of  the  Bev.  Mr. 
Thomas  Clark  late  of  Chelmsford  deceased  ;  it  being  the   donations  of 
sundry  persons  in  Chelmsford  for  that  use.    I  say  received  by  me. 

"  John  Hancock." 
HERE  LYES  THE 

T 

BODY  OF  LIEU . 
EDWARD  SPOLDIN 
AGED  73  YEARS 
WHO  DECEASED 


BY 


th 


JAN  .     Y  10  1707  I  g 

HERE  LYES  Y  BODY 

OF  A    M^s  A    LUCIA  A 

TYNG  WIFE  TO    .   CAP^ 

WILLIAM  TYNG 
AGED    A    28         YEARS 

&4         MONTHS.    WHO 

DEPARTED  THIS  LIFE 

•  TH 

APRIL    .    Y     .    25    .    1708 

Her  husband,  William  Tyng,  is  buried  in  Concord, 
having  been  wounded  by  the  Indians  between-Groton 
and  Lancaster  and  carried  to  Concord,  where  he  died 
Aug.  16,  1710. 

Here  Lyes  y=  Body 

of  Mr  JOHN 
PERHAM        who 
Dec*  Janui'y  y« 

St 

21  1721 

Aged  88  Years. 

Here  is  one  which  has  some  historic  interest : 

SACRED  to  the  memory  of 
Mb.  JOSEPH  SPALDING 
who  died  July  31  1820  ^t.  64. 
in  hope  of  eternal  life  which  God 
who  cannot  lie  hath  promised  to 
believers  in  Christ. 

He  was  among  the  brave  asserters   &  defenders  of  the   liberties  of  his 
country  at  Bunker  Hill,  wtjere  he  opened  the  battle  by  firing    upon  the 
enemy  before  orders  were  given  :  &,  after  enjoying  for   many  years  the 
blessings  of  civil  &  religious  liberty  in  common  with  others 
He,  "  sunk  to  rest 
With  all  his  country?  honor's  blest. 


By  the  Church  of 

Christ  in  Chelmsford. 

In  testimony  of  their  esteem  and  Veneration 

this  sepulchral  Stone  was  erected,  to  stand  as  a 

sacred  Memorial  of  their  late  worthy  Pastor, 

the  Reverend  Ebenezer  Bridge, 

who  after  having  ofiioiated  among  them, 

in  the  service  of  the  Sanctuary, 

for  more  than  a  year  above  half  a  Century, 

The  Strength  of  Nature  being  exhausted 

sunk  under  the  Burden  of  Age, 

and  joined  the  Congregation  of  the  Dead, 

Oct.  1, 1792  ^tat.  78 

The  following  recalls  one  of  the  past  industries 
of  Chelmsford,  which  flourished  at  the  time  of  the  old 
Middlesex  Canal : 


@fc/^ 


to  the  memory  of 

John  J.  Stickelmire, 

a  Native  of  GERMANY,  and  late  foreman  of 

the  Chelmsford  Glass  Manufactory, 

Died  March  31"  1814 

Aged  48  years. 

This  verse  reminds  the  heedless  as  they  pass 
That  life's  a  fragile  drop  of  unnealed  glass, 
The  slightest  wound  ensures  a  fatal  burst 
And  the  frail  fabric  shivers  into  dust. 
So  he  whom  in  his  heart  could  none  surpass. 
Is  now  himself  reduced  to  broken  glass, 
But  from  the  grave,  the  fining  pot  of  man. 
From  scandiver  and  galss  galls  purged  again, 
New  mixed  and  fashioned  by  almighty  power, 
Shall  rise  a  firmer  fabric  than  before. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

CHELMSFORD— { Continued) . 

Indian  History — French  and  Indian  Wars— War  of  the  Ilevolution—Shai/$' 
Rebellion — War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  Pawtuckets  or  Wamesits. — The  Indians 
that  inhabited  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pawtucket 
Falls,  where  the  city  of  Lowell  now  stands,  were  one 
of  the  tribes  scattered  along  the  Merrimack,  and  Pis- 
cataqua  Rivers,  which  acknowledged  subjection  to 
Passaconnaway,  the  great  Sagamore  of  Pennacook. 
In  the  early  settlement  of  New  England  these  num- 
bered about  3000  souls.  They  were  very  much  re- 
duced by  the  great  sickness  of  1612  and  1613.  And 
in  an  expedition  against  the  Mohawks  or  Maquas  in 
1669  large  numbers  of  them  were  destroyed.  In  1674 
''there  were  not  above  two  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
besides  women  and  children."^ 

These  Indians  were  sometimes  called  Wamesits, 
from  their  village  or  capital  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Concord  River,  and  sometimes  Pawtucket^,  from  the 
falls  of  that  name  in  the  Merrimack. 

'Alien,  who  quotes  mainly  from  Gookin. 


250 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


These  Indians  were  not  naturally  of  a  warlike  dis- 
position. Passaconnaway,  their  chief,  died  in  1662. 
A  short  time  before,  at  a  great  feast  and  dance,  he 
gave  his  dying  counsel  to  his  people.  He  warned 
them  to  take  heed  how  they  quarreled  with  their 
English  neighbors.  "  For  though  they  might  do 
them  some  damage,  yet  it  would  prove  the  means  of 
their  own  destruction.  He  told  them  that  he  had 
used  "  all  the  arts  of  sorcery  to  prevent  their  settle- 
ment and  increase,"  but  to  no  purpose. 

Passaconnaway  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Wanna- 
lancet  (also  spelled  Wonolanset).  This  chief  contin- 
ued steadfast  in  his  friendship  for  the  English. 

The  following  interesting  account  of  Chelmsford's 
Indian  neighbors,  and  of  the  conversion  of  Wanna- 
lancet,  is  from  the  pen  of  the  historian.  Gen.  Daniel 
Gookin,  who  wrote  from  personal  observation  : 

"  Wamesit  is  tlie  fifth  praying  town  ;  and  this  place  is  situate  upon 
Merrimak  river,  being  a  neck  of  land,  where  Concord  river  falleth  into 
Merrimak  river.  It  is  about  twenty  miles  from  Boston,  north  north 
■west,  and  within  five  miles  of  Billerica,  and  as  much  from  Chelmsford : 
K>  that  it  hath  Concord  river  upon  the  west  north  west ;  and  Merrimak 
river  upon  the  north  north  east.  It  hath  about  fifteen  families  ;  and 
consequently,  as  we  compute,  about  seventy  five  souls.  The  quantity 
of  land  belonging  to  it  is  about  twenty  five  hundred  acres.  The  land  is 
fertile  and  yieldeth  plenty  of  corn.  It  is  excellently  accommodated  with  a 
fishing  place  ;  and  there  is  taken  variety  of  fish  in  their  seasons,  as 
salmon,  shad,  lamprey  eels,  sturgeon,  bass,  and  divers  others.  There  is 
a  great  confluence  of  Indians,  that  usually  resort  to  this  place  in  the 
fishing  seasons, 

"Of  these  strange  Indians  divers  are  vitious  and  wicked  men  and 
women ;  which  Satan  makes  use  of  to  obstruct  the  prosperity  of  religion 
here.  The  ruler  of  this  people  is  called  Numphow.  He  is  one  of  the 
blood  of  their  chief  sachems.  Their  teacher  is  called  Samuel :  son  to 
the  ruler,  a  young  man  of  good  parts,  and  can  speak,  read,  and  write 
English  and  Indian  competently.  He  is  one  of  those  that  was  bred  up 
at  school,  at  the  charge  of  the  Corporation  for  the  Indians.  These  In- 
dians, if  they  were  diligent  and  industrious, — to  which  they  have  been 
frequently  excited, — might  get  much  by  their  fish,  especially  fresh  sal- 
mon, which  are  of  esteem  and  good  price  at  Boston  in  the  season  ;  and 
the  Indians  being  stored  with  horses  of  a  low  price,  might  furnish  the 
market  fully,  being  at  so  small  a  distance.  And  divers  other  sort  of  fish 
they  might  salt  or  pickle,  as  sturgeon  and  bass ;  which  would  be  mueh 
to  their  profit.  But  notwithstanding  divers  arguments  used  to  persuade 
them,  and  some  orders  made  to  encourage  them  ;  yet  their  idleness  and 
Improvidence  doth  hitherto  prevail. 

"At  this  place,  once  a  year,  at  the  beginning  of  May,  the  English 
magistrate  keeps  his  court,  accompani«d  with  Mr.  Eliot,  the  minister : 
who  at  this  time  takes  his  opportunity  to  preach,  not  only  to  the  inhabit- 
ants, but  to  as  many  of  the  strange  Indians,  that  can  be  persuaded  to 
hear  him  :  of  which  sort,  usually  in  times  of  peace,  there  are  consider- 
able numbers  at  that  season.  And  this  place  being  an  ancient  and  capi- 
tal seat  of  Indians,  they  come  to  fish ;  and  this  good  man  takes  this 
opportunity  to  spread  the  net  of  the  gospel,  to  fish  for  their  souls. 

"  Here  it  may  not  be  impertinent  to  give  you  the  relation  following. 
May  5th,  1G74,  according  to  our  usual  custom.  Mr.  Eliot  and  myself 
took  our  journey  to  Wamesit,  or  Pawtuckett;  and  arriving  there  that 
evening,  Mr.  Eliot  preached  to  as  many  of  them  as  could  be  got  together 
out  of  Mat.  xxii.  1-14,  the  parable  of  the  marriage  of  the  king's  son. 
We  met  at  the  wigwam  of  one  called  Wannalancet,  about  two  miles 
from  the  town,  near  Pawtuckett  falls,  and  bordering  upon  Merrimak 
river.  This  person,  Wannalancet,  is  the  eldest  son  of  old  Passaconaway, 
the  chiefest  gachem  of  Pawtuckett.  He  is  a  sober  and  grave  person,  and 
of  years,  between  fifty  and  sixty.  He  hath  been  always  loving  and 
friendly  to  the  English.  Many  endeavors  have  been  used  several  years 
to  gain  this  sachem  to  embrace  the  christian  religion  ;  but  he  hath  stood 
oflf  from  time  to  time,  and  not  yielded  up  himself  personally,  though  for 
four  yeare  past  ho  hath  been  willing  to  hear  the  word  of  God  preached, 
and  to  keep  the  Sabbath. — A  great  reason  that  hath  kept  him  off,  I  con- 
ceive, hath  been  the  indisposition  and  averseness  of  sundry  of  his  chief 
men  and  relations  to  pray  to  God  ;  which  he  foresaw  would  desert  him, 


in  case  he  turned  christian.— But  at  this  time,  May  6th,  1074,  it  pleased 
God  80  to  influence  and  overcome  his  heart,  that  it  being  proposed  to  him 
to  give  his  answer  concerning  praying  to  God,  after  some  deliberation 
and  serious  pause,  he  stood  up,  and  made  a  speech  to  this  effect : 

" '  Sirs  :  You  have  been  pleased  for  four  years  last  past,  in  your  abund- 
ant love,  to  apply  yourselves  particularly  unto  me  and  my  people,  to 
exhort,  press  and  persuade  us  to  pray  to  God.  I  am  very  thankful  to 
you  for  your  pains.  I  must  acknowledge,  s;iid  he,  I  have,  all  my  days, 
used  to  pass  in  an  old  canoe  (alluding  to  his  frequent  custom  to  pass  in  a 
canoe  upon  the  river)  and  now  you  exhort  me  to  change  and  leave  my 
old  canoe,  and  embark  in  a  new  canoe,  to  which  I  have  hitherto  been 
unwilling  ;  but  now  I  yield  up  myself  to  your  advice,  and  enter  Into  a 
new  canoe,  and  do  engage  to  pray  to  God  hereafter.' 

"This  his  professed  subjection  was  well  pleasing  to  all  that  were  pres- 
ent, of  which  there  were  some  English  persons  of  quality  ;  as  Mr.  Rich- 
ard Daniel,  a  gentleman  that  lived  in  Billerica,  about  six  miles  off,  and 
Lieutenant  Henchman,  a  neighbor  at  Chelmsford,  besides  brother  Eliot 
and  myself,  with  sundry  others,  English  and  Indians.  Mr.  Daniel  be- 
fore named  desired  brother  Eliot  to  tell  this  sachem  from  him,  that  it 
may  be,  while  he  went  in  his  old  canoe,  he  passed  in  a  quiet  stream ; 
but  the  end  thereof  was  death  and  destruction  to  soul  and  body.  But 
now  he  went  into  a  new  canoe,  perhaps  he  would  meet  with  storms 
and  trials,  but  yet  he  should  be  encouraged  to  persevere,  for  the  end  of 
his  voyage  would  be  everlasting  rest.  Moreover  he  and  his  people  were 
exhorted  by  brother  Eliot  and  myself,  to  go  on  and  sanctify  the  sabbath, 
to  hear  the  word,  and  use  the  means  that  God  hath  appointed,  and  en- 
courage their  hearts  in  the  Lord  their  God.  Since  that  time,  I  hear  this 
sachem  doth  persevere,  and  is  a  constant  and  diligent  hearer  of  God's 
word,  and  sanctifieth  the  sabbath,  though  he  doth  travel  to  Wamesit 
meeting  every  sabbath,  which  is  above  two  miles  ;  and  though  sundry  of 
his  people  have  deserted  him  since  he  subjected  to  the  gospel,  yet  he 
continues  and  persists. 

"  In  this  town  they^observe  the  same  civil  and  religious  orders  as  in 
other  towns,  and  have  a  constable  and  other  officers. 

"  This  people  of  Wamesit  suffered  more  in  the  late  war  with  the  Maw- 
kawks  than  any  other  praying  town  of  Indians  ;  for  divers  of  theu-  peo- 
ple were  slain  ;  others  wounded  ;  and  some  carried  into  captivity  ;  which 
providence  hath  much  hindered  the  prosperous  estate  of  this  place." 

From  this  account  it  appears  that  their  capital  was 
on  the  east  of  Concord  River,  in  what  is  now  Belvi- 
dere.  Allen  states  that  Wamesit  consisted  of  about 
2500  acres,  of  which  1000  were  estimated  to  be  east  of 
Concord  River  and  1500  on  the  west. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  King  Philip's  War  Wanna- 
lancet withdrew  with  his  people  to  the  north  to  pre- 
vent being  drawn  into  the  quarrel.  And  although  he 
suffered  great  provocation  at  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
lish even  in  this  retreat — his  wigwams  and  provis- 
ions being  destroyed  by  Captain  Moseley's  troops — he 
would  not  suffer  his  men  to  retaliate.  "  Wannalan- 
cet after  a  long  absence  called  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fiake 
and  congratulated  him  on  the  restoration  of  peace, 
solicitously  inquired  after  the  welfare  of  the  people 
in  Chelmsford,  and  whether  they  had  suffered  greatly 
during  the  war.  Mr.  Fiske  replied  that  they  had 
been  highly  favored,  for  which  he  desired  to  thank 
God.  '  Me  next,'  said  the  sagacious  sagamore,  inti- 
mating that  through  his  iyifluence  this  town  had  been 
exempted  from  the  calamities  that  had  befallen  many 
others."  ^ 

King  Philip's  War. — Chelmsford  suffered  much 
less  than  many  of  the  other  frontier  towns.  The  peo- 
ple were,  however,  in  a  perpetual  state  of  alarm. 
When  the  father  went  forth  from  his  home  he  was 
tortured  by  the  fear  that  he  might  return  to  find  it  a 
smoking  ruin,  with  the  mangled  bodies  of  his  loved 

»-Allen. 


CHELMSFORD. 


251 


ones  beside  it.  Several  years  previous  to  the  out- 
break of  hostilities  some  acts  of  the  town  show  that 
even  at  that  time  the  feeling  w^as  far  from  one  of  secu- 
rity. 

While  assembled  in  the  church  on  the  Sabbath 
their  devotions  were  liable  to  be  rudely  disturbed  by 
the  savages.  But  whether  the  menace  was  from  some 
roving  band  of  the  warlike  Mohawks,  who  had  dealt 
such  a  crushing  blow  to  the  Pawtuckets  a  short  time 
before;  or  whether  it  was  from  some  of  the  Pawtuck- 
ets themselves,  made  dangerous  by  a  too  free  indul- 
gence in  "  strong  lickers,"  we  can  only  conjecture. 

"  25  the  5  mo""  1G71  It  is  ordered  by  the  Selectmen  For  Severall 
Considerations  espetialy  for  the  preseruation  of  peace  That  with  in  one 
moneth  After  the  Date  hear  of  Eury  every  malle  person  with  in  our 
towne  above  the  Age  of  fiveten  years  Shall  provid  a  good  C'lube  of  fouer 
or  five  foott  in  lingth  with  a  Knobe  in  the  end,  and  to  bringe  the  same 
to  the  metting  house,  ther  to  leave  the  Same  vntill  vntill  ocation  fore 
use  of  it  be  [found,  &c.] 

"  the  name  of  the  Rest  By 

"  Samuel  Adams, 

"  Clerlie. 

The  next  year  the  town  "  covenanted  with  Abra- 
ham Parker  ...  to  cut  all  the  brush  in  the  Training 
place  .  .  .  and  by  Training  place  is  understood  all 
that  land  now   cleared  by  the   town   for   that   use." 

This  land  was  probably  on  the  pine  plain  between 
Chelmsford  Centre  and  Lowell.  The  year  following 
the  town  built  a  house  upon  Robins  Hill.  The  rec- 
ords relating  to  this  are  sufficiently  interesting  to  be 
given  in  full : 

"  7ft  8  mo.,  1673. 

"  The  towne  voated  Leftenant  Samuell  Foster  and  en —  william  Fletcher 
Shold  a  point  the  place  whear  the  towne  house  Shold  bee  bultt,"  at  the 
game  time,  "It  was  voated  that  all  mall  persons  from  the  age  of  twelve 
years  to  sixtey,  shall,  every  one,  worke  one  day  in  the  yeare  for  the 
Clearing  of  Robins  hill,  on  the  penalty  of  twelve  pence  a  boy,  and  tow 
Shillings  a  man,  in  case  thay  Neglectt  beeing  tlier  unto  caled.  .  .  . 
by  order  of  the  Select  men  For  sixe  years  in  sewing,  the  datte  heer  of 
being  left  to  the  Selectmen  to  a  point  the  day  yeerly,  and  likwis  thay  are 
to  apoint  a  man  to  lead  on  the  worke  either  ther  or  else  whear,  att  the 
selectmens  apointment,  dated  as  above  by  order  of  the  Towne." 

"7  of  October,  1673,        att  a  generall  metting  [  J  the  towne 

order  thes  foloing,  (sic.) 

"  Articls  of  agreement  made  the  fonith  Day  of  octobor,  on  thousand 
sixe  hundreth  seventy  and  three,  bettwene  the  inhabitants  of  Chelms- 
ford and  Joseph  barrett,  of  the  Same  place,  (sic). 

"The  Said  Joseph  barrett  Doth  promis  and  Ingage  to  buld  a  house  of 
eighten  Foot  longe,  and  sixten  foot  wid,  and  eight  foot  Stud,  and  to  do 
all  the  worke  belonging  to  the  Same,  From  the  stump  to  the  finishing  of 
the  Same,  and  to  find  bords  for  the  hole  house,  and  lay  the  flowers  and 
dobell  bord  the  Roofe,  and  bord  ( ?  or  bore)  the  sids  and  ends,  and 
to  make  the  Chimly,  and  dore  and  window,  and  to  find  stones  and  clay 
and  to  finish  the  Said  house  att,  or  beefore,  the  last  day  of  march  Next 
insewing  the  date  above. 

"  The  inhabitants  of  Chelmsford  do  promise,  and  hearby  ingage,  to 
pay  unto  the  for  said  barett,  in  full  satisfaction  for  the  house  Aforesaid, 
the  Just  sum  of  twelve  pounds  in  towne  pay,  that  is,  such  as  the  towne 
can  produce,  and  to  pay  the  same  twelve  pounds,  att  or  beefore  the 
tenth  day  of  octtobor,  in  the  yeare  on  thousand  sixe  hundreth  sevety  and 
foure,  as  wittness  in  the  behalfe  of  the  towne  the  date  above. 

"  allso  it  was  agreed  vpon  that  the  towne  Should  find  Nails  for  the 
whole  house. 

"Sam  Adams, 

»  CTerfce." 

It  is  not  clear  what  purpose  this  house  was  intended 
to  serve.  It  undoubtedly  had  some  military  signifi- 
cance.    The  committee  appointed  to   locate  it  were 


both  officers  in  the  "  foot  company."  The  place  W.A9 
admirably  adapted  for  a  lookout  from  which  to  warn 
the  people  of  approaching  danger.  Several  years  be- 
fore the  Indians  had  built  a  stockade  upon  Fort  Hill, 
now  Rogers  Park,  in  Lowell,  to  protect  themselves 
from  the  Mohawks,  and  it  is  said  that  they  signaled 
across  from  that  point  to  Robins  Hill.  The  house 
was  leased  by  the  town  to  Daniel  Galutiah,  or  Galu- 
sha,  for  a  term  of  years  for  a  nominal  sum, — one  and 
one-half  i^ecks  of  corn  yearly.  Galusha  was  a  Dutch- 
man. He  was  afterwards  a  soldier  in  a  garrison  at 
Dunstable.  His  house  there  was  attacked  and  burned 
by  the  savages  and  one  woman  killed. 

The  state  of  feeling  in  1675  may  be  inferred  by  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  : 

"  Chelmsford,  March  y«  20,  1675.  Good  Sr,  I 
humbly  intreat  you  to  pray  the  Counsell  to  grant  us 
a  stronger  Guard,  for  wee  expect  the  Indians  every 
hour  to  fall  upon  us,  and  if  they  come  wee  shall  be  all 
cutt  off,"  and  a  petition  from  some  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens to  the  General  Court  to  "  Consider  o"^  dangerus 
Conditions  y'  we  are  in  in  refference  to  o"'  lives  and 
estates."  ^ 

The  town  built  several  garrison-houses.  One  of 
these  stood  opposite  the  present  house  of  Henry  Hod- 
son,  in  District  No.  7.  (This  was  the  one  mentioned 
by  Allen  opposite  Mr.  Andrew  Spalding's.)  One  was 
on  Francis  Hill,  near  the  Keyes  place.  Allen  speaks 
of  "  one  south  of  the  meeting-house."  It  is  uncertain 
where  it  stood.  It  is  said  that  one  stood  on  South 
Street,  between  the  houses  of  E.  R.  Marshall  and 
John  S.  Shed.  The  late  Mrs.  Hezekiah  Parkhurst 
said  that  one  stood  on  the  high  point  of  land  between 
the  mill-pond  and  the  South  Chelmsford  Road. 
Another  was  upon  the  bank  of  the  Merrimack,  at  Mid- 
dlesex. 

This  was  Lieut.  Thos.  Hinchman's  garrison.  In 
October,  1675,  he  was  given  ten  pounds  out  of  the 
public  treasury  for  his  "  extraordinary  expenses  and 
labour."  The  order  sets  forth  that  he  "  hath  been  at 
great  charge  in  providing  ffor  the  diet  of  certaine  soul- 
djers  appointed  to  garrison  his  house  vpon  Merre- 
macke  Riuer,  where  sundry  Englishmen,  his  neigh- 
bors, are  concerned,  which  is  a  very  apt  place  to  se- 
cure that  frontier." 

The  withdrawal  of  the  Wamesit  Indians  into  the 
wilderness  occasioned  great  uneasiness,  as  it  was  feared 
that  they  had  joined  the  enemy.  Some  of  the 
Chelmsford  soldiers,  who  were  in  the  more  exposed 
garrisons  at  Groton,  desired  to  be  released  because  of 
this  new  peril  at  home.  These  fears  fortunately 
proved  to  be  groundless.  In  Sept.,  1675  Cornet  Tho- 
mas Brattle  and  Lieut.  Thomas  Hinchman,  who  were 
in  command  of  a  company  of  fifty  horsemen,  were  or- 
dered "  forthwith  to  march  to  Chelmsford  ''  to  attend 
to  distributing  the  forces  in  the  garrisons  of  the  more 
exposed  towns,  and  "  you  are  to  endeavor  either  one 

1 F.  P.  Hill's,  "  Chelmsford." 


252 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


or  both  of  you  (if  it  may  bee)  to  gaine  the  Indian 
Sachem  called  Wannalanset  to  com  in  againe  and 
liue  at  wamesit  quietly  [and]  pecabley:  you  may 
promise  him  in  the  councills  name  y*  if  hee  will  re- 
turne  &  his  people  and  liue  quietly  at  Wamesit  hee 
shall  susteyne  no  p'iudise  by  the  English  ;  only  you 
are  to  ppose  to  him  y'  he  deliuer  for  a  hostage  to  the 
english  his  sonne  who  shalbe  wel  vsed  by  vs,  C  in 
case  hee  come  in  and  can  bee  gained  then  you  are  to 
impour  him  to  informe  the  Pennakooke  and  Nata- 
cook  Indians  and  all  other  Indians  on  the  east  side  of 
Merrimack  Riuer,  that  they  may  liue  quietly  and 
peacable  in  y'  places  and  shall  not  bee  disturbed  any 
more  by  the  english  prouided  they  do  not  assist  or 
ioyne  with  any  of  or  enimiy  nor  do  any  dammage  or 
preiudice  to  y*  english."  Capt  Saml.  Moseley  sent 
twelve  men  to  the  garrisons  in  Chelmsford  in  Aug., 
1675.  He  reported  that  "  Our  Major  having  a  cer- 
tain intelligence  of  a  considerable  party  of  Indians 
that  have  gathered  together  a  little  above  Chelmsford, 
which  I  hope  we  shall  be  up  with  this  night  or  to- 
morrow at  furthest,  and  if  please  God  I  come  up  with 
them,  God  assisting  me,  I  will  closely  engage  with 
them,  and  God  sparing  my  life,  I  shall,  as  opportunity 
gives  leave,  acquaint  your  honor  of  my  actions." 

In  the  beginning  of  1676  the  Indians  became  more 
aggressive.  Wannalancet  informed  Mr.  Hinchman 
that  a  company  of  about  fifteen  Mohawks  were  in 
the  Avoods  above  the  river.  Joseph  Parker  was  way- 
laid and  wounded,  as  related  in  the  following  letter 
dated  at  Chelmsford,  12th  Feb.,  1676,  and  signed  by 
Samuel  Adams,  Samuel  and  William  Fletcher,  and 
sent  to  the  Governor  and  Council  at  Boston:  "This 
Morningabout  an  hower  and  Half  after  sun-rising,  Jo- 
seph Parker  of  this  place  with  his  son,  coming  for 
[from]  the  Hon'd  Major  Willard,  about  fower  Mile  from 
o[v]r  Meeting-House,  along  by  some  houses  pertaining 
to  this  towne,  now  agfinst  one  house  standing  nigh 
the  way  [were]  Way-layed,  and  had  ye  indians  bullets 
thick  (as  they  report)  about  them — They  rode  fast  to 
escape  them.  The  young  Man  was  wounded  in  the 
Shoulder  by  a  Musket  Bullet,  as  cut  out  on  the  other 
side  of  his  Arme,  and  we  conceive  by  Pistol  Bullets. 
His  clothes  torn  in  several  Places."  This  may  have 
been  the  Joseph  Parker  who  was  the  first  white  person 
born  in  the  town.^  The  next  month  "  some  part  "  of 
Chelmsford  was  burned.  But  the  people  were  fortu- 
nate at  sustaining  no  more  serious  blow,  for  the  same 
body  of  Indians  the  next  day  made  a  furious  assault 
upon  Groton,  and  the  town  was  so  nearly  destroyed 
that  the  survivors  abandoned  the  place  altogether. 

These  acts  excited  such  an  intense  feeling  of  resent- 
ment towards  the  Indians  that  any  act  of  lawlessness 
was  apt  to  be  followed  by  swift  punishment,  adminis- 
tered, too  often  indiscriminately,  upon  any  Indians 
that  could  be  found,  without  inquiring  very  carefully 
whether  they  were  friends  or  foes.     This  was  the  case 

1  Hubbard,  p.  195. 


when  some  of  the  Wamesits  were  shot  because  they 
were  "vehemently  suspected"  of  having  burned  a 
barn  and  some  haystacks.  This  provoked  the  hith- 
erto friendly  Wamesits  to  retaliate.  The  story  is 
thus  told  by  the  historian  Hubbard: 

"  At  Chelmsford  the  said  Wamesit  Indians,  about 
March  18,  before,  fell  upon  some  Houses  on  the 
North  side  of  the  River,  burned  down  three  or  four 
that  belonged  to  the  Family  of  Edward  Colburn  ;  the 
said  Colburn,  with  Samuel  Varnham,  his  Neighbour, 
being  pursued,  as  they  passed  over  the  River  to  look 
after  their  Cattel  on  that  side  of  the  River,  and  mak- 
ing several  shots  against  them,  who  returned  the  like 
again  upon  the  said  Indians  (judged  to  be  about 
forty).  What  success  they  had  upon  the  Enemy  was 
best  known  to  themselves;  but  two  of  Varnham's 
sons  were  slain  by  the  Enemies  shot  before  they 
could  recover  the  other  Side  of  the  River." 

Samuel  Varnham  lived  upon  what  is  known  as  the 
Howard  farm  in  Middlesex.  His  sons  who  were 
killed  are  buried  there. 

April  15th  the  savage  foe  made  another  descent 
upon  the  town,  and  the  startled  inhabitants  beheld 
their  dwellings  in  flames.  Upon  this  occasion  there 
"were  fourteen  or  fifteen  houses  burned." 

By  midsummer  the  wily  Philip  had  been  hunted  to 
his  death  and  the  fury  of  the  war  was  abated.  Nearly 
a  thousand  men  in  the  Colony  had  lost  their  lives, 
while  the  destruction  of  property  had  been  simply 
frightful.  The  frontier  towns  suffered  most,  and 
Chelmsford  was  among  those  that  were  obliged  to 
apply  to  the  General  Court  for  relief.  This  was 
granted  in  the  following  order  :  "  In  ans'  to  the  peti- 
tion of  the  selectmen  of  Chelmsford,  &c.,  it  is  ordered 
that  Chelmsford  be  allowed  and  abated  the  sume  of 
fiuety-three  pounds  seven  shillings  &  one  penny  out 
of  their  last  tenn  country  rates  towards  theire  losses." 

The  Nashoba  Indians,  who  lived  upon  the  southern 
borders  of  the  town,  suffered  great  hardships  during 
Philip's  War.  They  were  removed  by  order  of  the 
Court  to  Concord,  where  they  were  cared  for  by  John 
Hoar.  Here  they  were  living  peaceably.  When 
Capt.  Samuel  Moseley  came  he  broke  into  their 
house,  scattered  their  property  and  they  were  hurried 
to  "  their  furnace  of  aflBiction  "  at  Deer  Island.  In 
May  of  the  following  year  they  were,  with  some  of 
the  Naticks,  removed,  by  order  of  the  Court,  to  Paw- 
tucket.  Those  who  were  removed  were  mostly  women 
and  children.  It  was  ordered  "that  the  men  be 
improved  in  the  service  of  the  country."  Arms  were 
provided  for  such  as  were  trusty,  and  they  were 
placed  under  the  command  of  Captain  Hinchman. 

The  Pawtuckets  did  not  return,  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  war,  to  their  former  habitations  at  Wamesit. 

They  retired  with,  perhaps,  the  remnant  of  the 
Nashobas,  to  Wickasuck  (Tyng's)  Island,  in  the 
Merrimack.^    This  island  had  been  granted  to  Wana- 

2  Nason's  "  Dunstable." 


CHELMSFORD. 


253 


lancet  and  other  Indians  in  1665.  They  remained 
upon  this  island  or  its  vicinity  until  their  removal  to 
'•Pennacook  in  1686. 

The  results  of  King  Philip's  War  were  so  disas- 
trous to  the  hostile  Indians  that  they  no  longer  had 
the  power  to  threaten  the  existence  of  the  Colonies. 
The  relations  with  the  survivors  were  not  rendered 
more  cordial,  however,  by  the  struggle.  Cordial 
hatred  was  the  feeling  between  the  races.  As 
marauding  parties  and  as  allies  to  the  French  in  the 
wars  with  that  nation  they  inflicted  great  damage  to 
the  exposed  settlements  for  many  years. 

By  the  wise  management  of  Hinchman  Chelmsford 
continued  to  have  a  valuable  ally  in  Wannalancet. 
His  influence  with  the  Indians  was  always  exerted 
for  peace,  and  when  danger  could  not  be  averted  he 
warned  the  people  so  that  they  were  able  to  prepare 
for  it.  Chelmsford  should  hold  the  name  of  Wanna- 
lancet in  grateful  remembrance. 

A  feeling  of  insecurity  prevailed,  however,  as  is 
shown  by  the  following  extract  from  the  diary  of 
Samuel  Sewall,  of  Boston  : 

"  7-9th,  1685.  When  came  home  heard  of  body  of 
Indians  near  Chelmsford,  3  or  400.  The  fears  and 
Rumors  concerning  them  much  increase.  The  In- 
dians near  Albany ;  Wonolanset  brings  the  news  to 
Chelmsford,  and  mistrusts  of  their  mischevous 
designs." 

Through  representations  made  to  the  Court  by 
Hinchman  the  services  of  Wannalancet  "  in  the 
treaty  late  with  the  Indians  at  Pennacooke"  were 
recognized,  as  also  his  grievance  that  some  of  his 
friends  were  transported,  and  it  was  ordered  "that 
the  Treasurer  advance  tenn  pounds  in  money  & 
clothing,  deliver  the  same  to  y*  major-generall, 
Capt.  Thomas  Hinchman  &  Mr.  Jonathan  Ting,  to 
be  distributed  by  them  amongst  sajd  Indeans,  some 
writting  bein  draune  vp  to  be  presented  to  sajd  In- 
deans at  the  same  time  to  signe,  for  the  rattififcacon 
of  an  intire  peace  and  amity  betweene  them  &  y® 
English." 

In  1689  the  first  of  the  series  of  French  and  Indian 
Wars  began,  and  military  preparations  again  became 
active. 

The  following  item  appeared  in  a  Boston  news- 
paper, under  date  of  Sept.  25,  1690  (the  earliest  news- 
paper published  in  America) :  "  While  the  barbarous 
Indians  were  lurking  about  Chelmsford  there  were 
missing,  about  the  beginning  of  this  month,  a  couple 
of  children  belonging  to  a  man  of  that  Town,  one  of 
them  aged  about  eleven,  the  other  aged  about  nine 
years,  both  of  them  supposed  to  be  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians."  ^ 

There  were  eighteen  garrison-houses  distributed 
throughout  the  town,  and  one  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Merrimack,  in  what  is  now  Dracut.  To  these  were 
assigned,    besides    women   and    children,  158   men, 

1  Copied  in  London  by  Hon.  Samuel  A.  Green,  M.D.,  of  Boston. 


including  four  soldiers.  This  was,  probably,  the 
entire  adult  male  population  of  the  town.  Another 
instance  of  the  friendship  of  the  Pawtuckets  occurred 
on  June  22,  1689.  Two  Indians,  Job  Maramasquand 
and  Peter  Muckamug,  came  to  Major  Hinchman 
from  Pennacook  and  reported  a  plot  against  Major 
Waldron,  of  Cocheco  (now  Dover).  Major  Hinch- 
man immediately  despatched  a  messenger  to  notify 
the  authorities  at  Boston,  and  they  sent  a  courier  with 
the  information  to  Major  Waldron. 

But  the  news  came  too  late.  Upon  the  fatal  night 
of  June  27th,  while  the  courier  was  detained  at  New- 
bury Ferry,  at  midnight,  the  squaws,  who  had  impru- 
dently been  allowed  to  lodge  in  the  garrison-houses, 
opened  the  doors  and  the  savages  rushed  in.  The 
story  is  familiar  of  how  the  major  gallantly  defended 
himself  with  his  sword,  but  was  struck  down  with  a 
hatchet,  and  then  placed  in  his  arm-chair  upon  the 
table  and  taunted  by  the  Indians  while  they  slashed 
him  with  their  knives  until  he  fell  from  loss  of  blood 
upon  his  own  sword  which  they  held  under  him. 
Twenty-two  others  were  killed  and  twenty-nine  cap- 
tives carried  to  Canada. 

Samuel  Butterfield,  who  was  captured  in  Groton  by 
Indians  in  August,  1704,  had  a  somewhat  romantic 
experience.  With  other  soldiers  he  was  guarding  a 
man  who  was  at  work  in  a  field  when  the  Indians 
came  upon  them.  He  killed  one  Indian  and  wounded 
another,  but  was  overpowered  by  numbers.  As  the 
slain  Indian  was  a  Sagamore  "  of  great  dexterity  in 
war,"  his  captors  proposed  to  wreak  their  vengeance 
upon  him  by  inflicting  a  death  by  torture.  While 
lamenting  his  cruel  fate,  relief  came  from  an  unex- 
pected quarter.  The  "  squaw  widow,"  when  asked  to 
name  the  manner  of  his  death,  replied  :  "  His  death 
won't  fetch  my  husband  to  life :  do  nothing  to  him." 
His  life  was  spared,  and  after  fourteen  months  of  cap- 
tivity he  returned  to  his  friends.  He  was  probably 
the  Lieutenant  Butterfield  who  again  met  with  a  nar- 
row escape  from  the  Indians  two  years  later,  while  re- 
turning with  his  wife  from  Dunstable.  His  horse 
was  shot  and  the  woman  taken  captive,  "and  Jo 
English,  a  friend  Indian,  in  company  with  y",  was  at 
the  same  time  slain." 

Capt.  William  Tyng,  a  young  man  of  promise,  who 
had  served  the  town  as  representative  to  the  General 
Court,  and  filled  other  positions  of  trust,  was  wounded 
by  Indians  between  Groton  and  Lancaster.  He  was 
taken  to  Concord,  where  he  died,  Aug.  16,  1710.* 

Chelmsford  was  drawn  upon  heavily  for  men  for 
the  various  campaigns  of  the  French  Wars,  and  valu- 
able lives  were  sacrificed. 

Lieut.  Jona.  Barron  was  in  the  successful  siege  of 
Quebec.  Upon  his  return  he  presented  Parson  Bridge 
with  a  silver  cup  taken  there.  Lieut.  Barron  after- 
wards lost  his  life  in  the  campaign  against  Crown 
Point  in  1755,  as  did  two  other  Chelmsford  soldiers. 


25-i 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


viz. :  Jacob  Parker  and  James  Emery,  This  was  the 
campaign  in  which  the  English  troops  fell  into  an 
ambush  of  French  and  Indians  under  Baron  Dieskau. 
There  were  twelve  Chelmsford  men  in  the  expedi- 
tion. 

In  the  unsuccessful  campaign  of  1756,  undertaken 
against  the  same  point,  of  twelve  Chelmsford  men  in 
the  company  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Butterfield,  of  Dun- 
stable (a  native  of  Chelmsford),  four  lost  their  lives, 
viz. :  Nathaniel  Butterfield,  Simeon  Corey,  James 
Button  and  Isaac  Proctor.  In  the  other  campaigns 
the  losses  were  doubtless  equally  heavy. 

In  the  campaign  against  Nova  Scotia,  in  1755, 
which  resulted  in  despoiling  the  thrifty  Acadians  of 
their  homes  and  property,  and  scattering  seven  thou- 
sand of  them  as  exiles  throughout  the  Colonies,  twenty- 
three  Chelmsford  soldiers  took  part.  It  seems  a  pity 
that  brave  men  should  be  employed  in  such  dishonor- 
able service. 

Seventeen  of  these  Acadians  were  cared  for  in 
Chelmsford.  Their  names  appear  in  the  following 
account  rendered  by  the  selectmen  of  the  town  in 
1757,  as  found  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives  : 

"  CHELMsrOED,  October  24,  1757. 

"In  obedience  and  pursuant  to  order  of  the  Great  and  General  Court 
of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  made  and  passed  the  21st  day  of 
January,  A.  D.  1757. 

"The  following  is  a  true  list  of  the  several  French  Persons'  names  in 
the  Town  of  Chelmsford,  the  amount  of  their  age,  sex  and  the  circum- 
stances of  their  health  and  capacity  for  labor. 

"  The  number  of  [    ]  are  seventeen,  viz.  : 

NAMES.  AGED. 

"  Jean  Landrie,  a  man,  62  years. 

Maudlin,  liis  wife,  60  Weakly,  unable  to  labor  and 

laboring  under  the  misfortune  of  a  broken  arm  and  the  charges 

thereof  now. 

Paul  Landrie,  his  son,  22  able  to  labor. 

Charles  Landrie,  do.  do.  20  sickly  and  not  able  to  labor. 

Simon  Landrie,  do.  do.  18  able  to  labor. 

Asam  Landrie,  do.  do.  16  years,  able  to  labor. 

Charles  Trawhorn,  a  man,      29  years,   sickly  and  ailing  and   not 

able  to  labour. 

Tithorne,  his  wife,  29  years,  able  to  labour. 

Mary,  their  daughter,  6J/^  years. 

Maudlin,  their  daughter,       5}^  years. 

Joseph,  their  son,  4  years,  sickly. 

Grigwiro,  their  son,  3  years. 

Margaret,  their  daughter,    0  : 7  months. 

Joseph  Landrie,  ason  of  the)  -„  v     i^i.         j    1 1    ^    i  u 

,    ,        »       ,  .  f26  years,  healthy  and  able  to  labour, 

sd.  Jean  Landrie,  i 

Maudlin,  his  wife,  26  years,  healthy  and  able  to  labour. 

Jean  V.,  their  son,  2  years,  sickly  and  weakly. 

Murray  Maudlin,  their  daughter,  6  mouths. 

"  David  Spaulding,    ^ 
"Daniel  Proctor,       |         Selectmen 
"  Henry  Spaulding,    y  of 

"Jonas  Adams,  |       Chelmsford." 

"Andrew  Fletcheb,  J 

Numerous  entries  appear  upon  the  town  records 
showing  the  expense  of  the  "  support  of  the  French." 
The  charges  are  mainly  for  provisions,  fuel,  house 
rent,  medical  attendance,  and  sometimes  for  rum 
(spelled  in  one  case  rhumb).  In  one  instance  one  of 
the  French  is  paid  by  the  town  for  assistance  ren- 
dered by  him  to  his  less  fortunate  companions  in  ex- 
ile, as  appears  by  the  following: — "Joseph   Landrie 


for  time  spent  in  moving  Jane  Landrie  and  wife  with 
their  goods  from  David  Spaulding's  to  Ephraim  War- 
ren's and  for  going  twice  to  Dunstable  about  a  nurse 
for  said  Jane  Landrie  and  wife  when  sick,  five  shil- 
lings and  four  pence  "  and  David  Spaulding  is  paid 
for  his  "  cart  and  oxen  to  move  the  French  from  his 
own  house  to  Ephraim  Warren's." 

As  the  Indians  abandoned  their  grant  at  Wamesit, 
their  lands  were  gradually  occupied  by  individuals, 
mostly  from  Chelmsford.  In  1686  their  remaining 
lands  on  the  west  of  Concord  River  and  500  acres  on 
the  north  of  the  Merrimack  were  purchased  by 
Jonathan  Tyng  and  Thomas  Henchman.  This  was 
known  as  the  Wamesit  Purchase.  Henchman  bought 
Tyng's  claim  for  £50,  and  by  him  it  was  sold  to  forty- 
six  proprietors  in  Chelmsford,  who  occupied  it  as  a 
pasture.  As  described  by  Allen,  the  northwest 
boundary  "  began  near  the  head  of  the  Middlesex 
Canal,  and  so  to  the  glass  manufactory  and  thence 
running  near  the  houses  of  the  late  Mr.  Philip  Parker, 
Mr.  Micah  Spalding  and  Capt.  Benj.  Butterfield,  ter- 
minated at  Wamesit  Falls,  in  Concord  River,  or  at 
the  mouth  of  River  Meadow  brook." 

Philip  Parker  lived  near  the  present  Highland 
School-house.  Micah  Spalding  at  the  corner  of  Lib- 
erty and  School  Streets,  and  Benjamin  Butterfield  on 
Hale  Street,  where  the  house  of  the  late  Benjamin 
Edwards  now  stands.  To  describe  this  line  by  the 
present  streets  of  the  city  of  Lowell,  it  would  corre- 
spond to  Baldwin,  West  Pine  and  Liberty  Streets, 
and  thence  to  the  mouth  of  River  Meadow  Brook. 

This  territory  now  became  a  part  of  Chelmsford, 
although  it  was  not  formally  annexed  until  1726. 

The  town  had  now  reached  its  greatest  area,  and 
all  changes  made  thereafter  were  attended  by  loss  of 
territory. 

The  town  now  embraced,  in  addition  to  what  is  now 
occupied  by  the  town,  a  large  part  of  Carlisle,  the 
whole  of  Westford  and  all  of  Lowell,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Belvidere,  Centralville  and  Pawtucketville. 
Chelmsford  also  held  jurisdiction  over  the  settlements 
upon  the  north  of  the  Merrimack,  at  what  is  now  Dra- 
cut,  and  the  part  of  Lowell  which  lies  north  of  the 
river.  The  people  voted  and  paid  taxes  in  Chelms- 
ford and  looked  to  them  for  protection.  This  relation 
was  confirmed  by  the  Court  in  1667,  that  "  sundry 
ffarmes  erected  aboue  the  toune  of  Chelmsford,  about 
Merremack  Riuer"  .  .  .  "haue  their  dependances 
vpon  &  performe  services  &  beare  chardges  w"*  the 
sajd  toune  of  Chelmsford."  The  town  of  Dracut  was 
incorporated  in  1702,  but  the  people  continued  to  act 
with  Chelmsford  in  religious  matters  till  the  relation 
was  severed  by  the  following  action :  "  Janawary 
the :  14 :  1705-6  "  "  It  was  uoated  that  Draw  Cut  shall 
not  uoate  In  Chelmsford." 

The  fall  ot  Fort  William  Henry  in  1757  occasioned 
great  alarm,  and  troops  were  hastily  summoned  to  re- 
pel a  threatened  invasion.  In  a  roll  of  the  company 
of  Captain  Samuel  Bancroft,  of  Reading,  raised  to 


CHELMSFORD. 


255 


meet  that  exigency,  are  fourteen  Chelmsford  names. 
In  1763  the  conquest  of  Canada  was  completed  and 
peace  again  smiled  upon  the  land. 

War  of  the  Revolution. — Colonel  Samson  Stod- 
dard, a  son  of  the  former  pastor,  was  perhaps  next  to 
Parson  Bridge  the  most  influential  person  in  town 
and  shared  with  him  the  social  honors.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  College  and  studied  divinity, 
but  relinquished  the  profession  for  trade  and  agricul- 
ture. He  kept  a  store  for  the  sale  of  general  mer- 
chandise, and  was  interested  in  land  operations  in 
New  Hampshire.  The  town  of  Stoddard,  in  that 
State,  was  named  in  his  honor.  His  house,  which 
stood  upon  the  site  of  the  Central  Baptist  Church, 
■was  the  resort  of  fashionable  and  cultured  people. 
The  following  from  Mr.  Bridge's  diary,  under  date  of 
June  24,  1763,  shows  the  quality  of  the  company  that 
sometimes  assembled  there :  "  Dined  at  Col.  Stod- 
dard's with  his  Excellency,  the  Governor,  and  Hon. 
Mr.  Bowdoin,  and  others,  and  their  ladies." 

In  the  disturbances  which  led  up  to  the  Revolu- 
tion Parson  Bridge  was  at  first  exceedingly  loyal  to 
the  home  government.  The  clergy,  as  a  class,  were 
conservative  and  inclined  to  favor  existing  institu- 
tions. His  associations  naturally  strengthened  him 
in  that  position.  He  was  a  friend  of  Governor 
Hutchinson. 

In  1771  he  records  a  visit  to  Dr.  Ellis  and  Governor 
Hutchinson — the  latter  of  whom  received  him  "  very 
graciously."  He  was  honored  by  being  selected  to 
preach  the  election  sermon  May  27,  1767,  and  in  this 
he  expressed  strong  sentiments  of  attachment  to  the 
mother  country.  But  after  the  republication  of 
Hutchinson's  letters,  in  this  country,  his  feelings 
underwent  a  change  and  he  became  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  liberties  of  the  Colonies. 

The  position  of  the  people  of  the  town  in  respect 
to  the  grievances  under  which  the  Colonies  suffered 
was,  in  the  highest  degree,  creditable  to  them.  While 
they  firmly  adhered  to  their  rights  as  Englishmen, 
there  is  not  the  remotest  suggestion  of  a  desire  to 
sever  their  connection  with  the  existing  government. 

The  riotous  opposition  excited  by  the  passage  of 
the  Stamp  Act  by  Parliament  is  thus  alluded  to  in 
the  parson's  diary  : 

August  30,  1765. — "Every  day  we  hear  ye  news 
from  Boston  of  ye  mobish  doings  there  in  which  first 
insurrection  they  hanged  Secretary  Oliver  in  eflSgy, 
and  then  burned  him ;  burned  the  stamp-office,  etc., 
rifled  his  dwelling.  .  .  All  this  is  owing  to  ye  stamp 
act.'' 

Colonel  Samson  Stoddard,  the  Representative  of 
Chelmsford  at  the  time,  asked  of  the  town  instructions 
as  to  how  he  should  act  in  so  delicate  a  crisis.  In 
town-meeting  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted 
tor  his  guidance  : 

"  This  being  a  time  when,  by  reason  of  several  acts 
of  parliament,  not  only  this  province,  but  all  the  Eng- 
lish colonies  of  this  continent,  are  thrown  into  the 


utmost  confusion  and  perplexity ;  the  stamp  act,  as 
we  apprehend,  not  only  lays  an  unconstitutional,  but 
also  an  insupportable,  tax  upon  us,  and  deprives  us, 
as  we  humbly  conceive,  of  those  rights  and  privileges 
to  which  we  are  entitled  as  free-born  subjects  of  Great 
Britain  by  the  royal  charter  ;  wherefore  we  think  it 
our  duty  and  interest  at  this  critical  conjuncture  of 
our  public  affairs,  to  direct  you,  sir,  our  representative, 
to  be  so  far  from  countenancing  the  execution  of  the 
aforesaid  stamp  act,  that  you  use  your  best  endeavors 
that  such  measures  may  be  taken  and  such  remon- 
strances made  to  the  King  and  Parliament,  as  may 
obtain  a  speedy  repeal  of  the  aforesaid  act,  and  a  re- 
moval of  the  burden  upon  trade." 

When,  upon  the  accession  of  Pitt  to  the  ministry  in 
England,  the  Stamp  Act  was  repealed,  hope  again 
revived  in  the  Colonies,  and  rejoicings  were  indulged 
in.  Colonel  Stoddard's  house  was  illuminated  in 
honor  of  the  event.  Bridge  writes,  "  May  22, 
1766.  Spent  the  evening  at  Col.  Stoddard's,  with 
abundance  of  other  company.  His  house  being  illu- 
minated, &c.,  on  acct  of  the  news  of  the  repeal  of 
the  Stamp  Act."  It  proved,  however,  that  the  hope 
was  not  well  founded. 

When,  in  consequence  of  the  dissolution  of  the 
General  Court  by  Governor  Barnard,  the  convention 
of  September  22,  1768,  was  called  by  the^Dommittee 
of  Safety  of  Boston  to  deliberate  on  measures  to  ob- 
tain redress  of  grievances,  this  town  was  one  of  the 
ninety-six  there  represented.  Colonel  Samson  Stod- 
dard being  their  delegate. 

A  town-meeting  was  called  January  11,  1773,  to 
know  the  sentiments  of  the  people  relative  to  certain 
grievances  under  which  the  Colony  is  laboring.  And 
at  an  adjourned  meeting,  January  22d,  the  following 
resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  : 

"  We  are  fully  of  opinion  that  the  inhabitants  of 
this  Province  are  justly  entitled  to  all  the  privileges 
of  Englishmen,  and  to  all  those  rights  inseparable 
from  them  as  members  of  a  free  community.  We  are 
also  sensible  that  some  of  those  rights  are  at  present 
endangered.  In  such  unhappy  circumstances,  the 
only  question  that  can  be  made  is  this  :  What  method 
is  most  suitable  to  obtain  a  redress  ?  Whatever  doubts 
may  arise  about  the  particular  mode,  this  we  are  clear 
in,  that  all  rash,  unmeaning,  passionate  procedures  are 
by  no  means  justifiable  in  so  delicate  a  crisis.  When 
a  community  thinks  any  of  its  rights  endangered  they 
should  always  weigh  consequences  and  be  very  cau- 
tious lest  they  run  into  a  step  that  may  be  attended 
with  the  most  deplorable  effects." 

In  their  instructions  to  their  representative,  Mr. 
Simeon  Spaulding,  the  following  language  occurs: 
"  Sir,  as  the  present  aspect  of  the  times  is  dark  and 
difficult,  we  do  not  doubt  but  you  will  cheerfully 
know  the  sentiments  and  receive  the  assistance  of 
those  you  represent.  The  matters  that  may  now 
come  under  your  cognizance  are  of  great  import- 
ance.    The  highest  wisdom,  therefore,  prudence  and 


256 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


decision  are  evidently  necessary.  We  would  earnestly 
caution  you  by  no  means  to  consent  to  any  rash,  pas- 
sionate plan  of  action,  which  will  not  only  sully  the 
dignity,  but  finally  prove  the  utter  destruction  of  the 
cause  we  pretend  to  support.  We  hope  those  little 
animosities  that  involve  persons,  not  things,  may  be 
utterly  banished,  and  that  every  determination  will 
be  founded  in  the  nature  of  a  free  state,  and  that  there- 
fore every  privilege  annexed  to  each  part  may  be  re- 
ligiously preserved.  Of  consequence,  you  will  be 
careful  not  to  trample  on  majesty,  while  you  are 
firmly  but  decently  pleading  the  liberties  of  the  sub- 
ject. In  fine,  we  wish  you  that  wisdom  which  is  from 
above,  and  we  pray  you  that  your  conduct  in  this  im- 
portant crisis  may  be  such  as  the  coolest  reflection 
will  ever  after  justify." 

Again,  when  the  news  of  the  act  closing  the  port  of 
Boston  and  transferring  the  seat  of  government  to 
Salem  was  received,  "  at  a  very  full  meeting  of  the 
freeholders  and  other  inhabitants  of  the  town,  May 
30,  1774,  in  consequence  of  letters  sent  to  the  Com- 
mittee of  Correspondence  by  the  Committee  of  Corre- 
spondence of  the  town  of  Boston,  containing  matters 
of  as  great  importance  as  ever  came  before  a  town- 
meeting,  a  Committee  of  Correspondence  was  chosen, 
consisting  of  Jonathan  William  Austin,  Captain 
Oliver  Barron,  Mr.  Samuel  Perham,  David  Spauld- 
ing,  Benjamin  Walker,  Deacon  Aaron  Chamberlin, 
Captain  Moses  Parker,  Samuel  Stevens,  Jr.,  and 
Simeon  Spaulding,  and  the  town  expressed  the  fol- 
lowing sentiments : 

"  I^  is  the  opinion  of  this  town  that  the  present 
day  is  as  dark  and  distressing  a  day  as  this  country 
ever  experienced,  and  when  we  consider  the  aspect  of 
the  times,  not  only  what  has  actually  taken  place,  but 
what  we  are  immediately  threatened  with,  we  must 
think  that  the  question  is,  whether  we  submit  to  the 
arbitrary,  lawless,  tyrannical  will  of  a  minister,  or  by 
using  those  powers  given  us  by  the  God  of  nature, 
and  which  it  were  sacrilege  to  surrender,  prevent  so 
awful  a  catastrophe ;  and  it  is  extremely  afflictive  to 
us  to  consider  that,  if  we  are  made  slaves,  we  are  so 
made  by  a  nation  whom  we  ever  gloried  in  as  a  pa- 
rent State,  whose  honor  was  dear  to  us,  and  to  secure 
whose  reputation  the  best,  the  richest  blood  has  been 
spilt.  Taxation  without  representation  we  have  no 
conception  of.  The  present  act  respecting  the  block- 
ing up  of  the  port  of  Boston  we  esteem  dangerous  and 
destructive. 

"  We  are  not  so  lost  to  every  generous  principle  of 
the  human  mind  as  not  to  sympathize  with  our  breth- 
ren of  Boston,  who  have  in  a  more  peculiar  sense 
been  struggling  in  our  common  cause  and  are  now 
suffering  for  our  common  liberties ;  and  as  we  think 
the  act  so  very  severe  and  cruel,  so  we  are  determined 
to  support  with  all  our  power  the  town  of  Boston,  in 
defense  of  rights  common  to  us  all.  And  while  we 
are  sensible  our  cause  is  right  we  are  resolved  never 
to  submit  to  the  iron  hand  of  despotism  and  oppres- 


sion. We  resent  the  base  treatment  which  that  illus- 
trious defender  of  American  liberty — Dr.  Frankin — 
has  received  for  detecting  such  wicked  designs.  May 
he  still  live  to  be  guardian  of  our  rights  and  the 
scourge  to  the  enemies  of  liberty  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic.  But  in  such  a  situation  we  do  not  think  it 
sufficient  to  weep  only  at  the  distresses  of  our  coun- 
try ;  we  think  our  union  is  our  life — the  contrary 
our  death.  We  mean,  therefore,  to  preserve  this 
union  inviolate  at  all  hazards,  and  we  are  determined 
in  a  firm,  virtuous,  manly  and  joint  way,  neither 
cajoled  on  the  one  hand  nor  intimidated  on  the  other, 
to  secure  and  defend  our  liberties,  those  liberties  pur- 
chased for  us  by  our  ancestors,  at  the  expense  of  so 
much  blood  and  treasure,  and  before  they  are  wrenched 
from  us  we  will  struggle  hard,  very  hard  for  them, 
considering  ourselves  as  the  guardians  of  unborn 
millions ;  and  O,  our  God  !  in  the  midst  of  this  strug- 
gle we  would  look  up  for  Thy  direction  and  assist- 
ance ;  may  the  liberties  of  America  still  flourish  under 
Thy  smiles  as  they  did  in  the  days  of  our  fathers,  and 
in  this  most  adverse  situation  of  public  affairs  we  may 
trust  in  Thee,  and  may  this  be  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment of  us  all:  In  freedom  we're  born  and  in  freedom 
we'll  die." 

They  manifested  the  sincerity  of  their  sympathy  for 
the  sufferers  at  Boston  by  collecting  a  drove  of  sheep 
and  sending  them  to  their  relief.  In  Sept.,  1774,  Mr. 
Simeon  Spaulding  was  chosen  to  represent  the  town 
at  Salem.  He  was  instructed  to  firmly  adhere  to  the 
charter  of  this  Province,  and  do  no  act  which  could 
be  possibly  construed  into  an  acknowledgment  of 
the  validity  of  the  act  of  the  British  Parliament  for 
altering  the  government  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Two 
delegates  were  sent  to  the  first  provincial  meeting  in 
Concord,  in  August,  1774 — Jona.  W.  Austin  and 
Samuel  Perham.  A  Committee  of  Inspection  was 
chosen  to  prevent  the  purchase  and  sale  of  any  articles 
imported  from  Great  Britain.  It  was  voted  to  equip 
the  alarm  list  with  the  implements  of  war,  also  to 
raise  and  discipline  fifty  minute-men. 

The  expressions  of  the  town  during  all  this  trying 
period  show  that  the  hostilities  which  followed  were 
not  of  their  seeking.  Their  language  is  not  the 
language  of  men  eager  to  achieve  glory  by  deeds  of 
arms ;  nor  was  their  intense  desire  for  a  peaceful 
solution  of  the  difliculties  and  caution  against  rash 
measures  the  caution  of  timidity,  as  their  subsequent 
acts  abundantly  testify.  For  when,  upon  the  19th  of 
April,  1775,  a  messenger  rode  into  town  with  the  news 
that  the  British  were  marching  from  Boston  towards 
Concord,  the  town  was  soon  on  the  alert  to  obey  the 
summons.  The  time  for  words  had  passed,  the  time 
for  action  had  come.  The  alarm-guns  were  fired,  the 
drums  beat  to  arms,  and  from  the  forms  and  work- 
shops the  minute-men  hastily  assembled  in  our  little 
village,  at  the  alarm-post,  which  was  a  rock  standing 
where  the  hay-scales  now  stand. 

The  good  parson  was  on  the  ground  and  requested 


CHELMSFORD. 


257 


the  men  to  go  into  the  meeting-house  and  have  prayers 
before  they  went;  but  the  impetuous  Capt.  Ford,  his 
patriotism  getting  the  better  of  his  piety,  replied  that 
they  had  more  urgent  business  on  hand,  and  hastened 
on  witli  his  men.  Soon  over  one  hundred  men  were 
on  their  way  to  the  scene  of  conflict.  One  com- 
pany of  sixty-one  men  were  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  Oliver  Barron,  and  the  other  company,  consist- 
ing of  forty-three  men,  were  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Moses  Parker.  These  men  did  not  march  in  regular 
order,  but  hurried  off  in  squads,  on  horseback,  as 
fast  as  they  received  the  summons.  They  assisted  in 
the  pursuit  of  the  British  toward  Charlestown,  taking 
part  in  the  encounters  at  Merriam's  Corner  and 
Hardy's  Hill.  Capt.  John  Ford,  who  was  at  this  time 
sergeant  in  Capt.  Barron's  company,  was  conspicuous 
at  the  latter  place.  He  was  an  old  veteran  of  the 
French  and  Indian  Wars,  and  knew  how  to  handle 
his  rifle.  He  is  said  to  have  killed  five  of  the  enemy 
during  the  battle.  Two  of  our  men,  Capt.  Oliver 
Barron  and  Dea.  Aaron  Chamberlain,  were  wounded. 
Bridge  writes  : 

"  April  19, 1775— The  Civil  War  was  begun  at  Con- 
cord this  morning !  Lord  direct  all  things  for  his 
glory,  the  good  of  his  church  and  people,  and  the 
preservation  of  the  British  colonies,  and  to  the  shame 
and  confusion  of  our  oppressors." 

"  April  20 — In  a  terrible  state,  by  reason  of  ye  news 
from  our  army.  The  onset  of  ye  British  was  begun  at 
Lexington,  was  carried  on  at  Concord,  where  some 
were  killed  on  both  sides.  They  ingloriously  re- 
treated soon  and  were  followed  by  our  men  down  to 
Cambridge,  before  night.  Five  captives  were  carried 
through  this  town  for  Amherst.  A  constant  march- 
ing of  soldiers  from  ye  towns  above  toward  ye  army 
as  there  were  yesterday  from  this  town  and  the  neigh- 
boring towns.  We  are  now  involved  in  a  war  which 
Lord  only  knows  what  will  be  the  issue  of,  but  I  will 
hope  in  His  mercy  and  wait  to  see  His  salvation." 

"  April  21 — I  sent  provisions  to  the  army  as  did 
many  more.  'Tis  a  very  distressing  day,  soldiers  pass- 
ing all  day  and  all  night." 

At  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  which  soon  followed, 
the  Chelmsford  men  took  a  prominent  part.  Upon 
the  morning  of  that  glorious  day,  the  17th  of  June, 
1775,  when  the  dawn  of  light  revealed  to  the  aston- 
ished Britishers  the  American  works  on  Breed's  Hill, 
Capt.  Ford,  who  was  now  in  command  of  the  Chelms- 
ford company,  which  consisted  of  sixty  men,  was 
stationed  with  the  army  at  Cambridge,  under  Gen. 
Ward.  When  the  preparations  for  the  battle  began, 
the  gallant  captain,  who  had  no  taste  for  inactivity, 
obtained  permission  from  the  general  to  withdraw 
his  company  privately  and  march  directly  to  the 
scene  of  action,  to  reinforce  the  troops.  They  marched 
a^-ross  Charlestown  Neck,  which  was  being  raked  by 
cannon  from  the  British  ships,  and  were  proceeding 
down  Bunker  Hill  when  they  were  met  by  Gen. 
Putnam,  who  ordered  Capt.  Ford,  with  his  company, 
17-ii 


to  draw  the  cannon,  which  had  been  deserted  by  Gen. 
Callender  and  left  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  intu  the 
line.  The  captain  at  first  remonstrated  on  the  ground 
that  his  company  were  ignorant  of  the  management 
of  artillery,  many  having  never  seen  a  cannon  before, 
but  finally  obeyed  "and  moved  with  the  cannon  and 
the  general  himself  to  the  rail  fence,"  which  they 
reached  just  before  the  battle  began.  Capt.  Knowltou 
with  the  Connecticut  troops  and  Col.  Stark  with  some 
of  the  New  Hampshire  troops  were  also  stationed  at 
this  part  of  the  defences.  The  right  wing  of  the 
British  army,  under  Gen.  Howe,  was  directed  against 
this  point  for  the  purpose  of  turning  the  American 
flank  and  cutting  ofl'  a  retreat  from  the  redoubt.  As 
the  enemy  advanced  to  the  attack,  the  artillery, 
manned  by  a  portion  of  Capt.  Ford's  company, 
opened  upon  them  with  great  effect,  some  of  the  shots 
being  directed  by  Gen.  Putnam  himself.  The  muskets 
were  ordered  to  reserve  their  fire  till  the  enemy  were 
within  eight  rods.  Joseph  Spaulding,  however,  of 
Ford's  company,  could  not  resist  the  temptation  and 
discharged  his  musket,  as  did  some  others,  while  the 
enemy  paused  to  destroy  a  fence  which  obstructed 
their  way.  The  inscription  on  his  grave-stone,  which 
stands  in  the  old  grave-yard,  says  :  "  He  was  among 
the  brave  asserters  and  defenders  of  his  country  at 
Bunker  Hill,  where  he  opened  the  battle  by  firing 
upon  the  enemy  before  orders  were  given." 

When  the  word  was  given,  the  fowling-pieces 
mowed  down  their  victims  with  fatal  celerity,  and  the 
enemy  was  obliged  to  retreat,  "  leaving  on  the 
ground,"  as  Gen.  Stark  related,  "  where  but  the  day 
before  the  mowers  had  swung  the  scythe  in  peace,  the 
dead,  as  thick  as  sheep  in  a  fold."  When  upon  the 
third  assault  of  the  enemy  the  fortunes  of  the  day 
were  reversed,  and  the  Americans  were  obliged  to  re- 
treat from  the  redoubt,  the  force  at  the  rail  fence, 
where  some  reinforcements  had  been  received,  main- 
tained their  ground  with  great  firmness  and  intre- 
pidity, and  successfully  resisted  every  attempt  to  turn 
their  flank.  This  line  indeed  was  nobly  defended. 
The  force  here  did  great  service,  for  it  saved  the  main 
body,  who  were  retreating  in  disorder  from  the  re- 
doubt, from  being  cut  off  by  the  enemy.  When  it 
was  perceived  that  the  force  under  Col.  Prescott  had 
left  the  hill,  these  brave  men  gave  ground,  but  with 
more  regularity  than  could  have  been  expected  of 
troops  who  had  been  no  longer  under  discipline. 
Capt.  Ford  behaved  with  great  spirit  in  the  engage- 
ment. Thirteen  men  of  his  company  were  wounded. 
Benj.  Pierce,  afterward  Gen.  Pierce,  and  the  father 
of  President  Pierce,  was  a  member  of  his  company. 

"  Capt.  Benj.  Walker  led  his  company  of  about 
fifty  resolute  men,  ten  of  whom  were  from  Chelms- 
ford, into  Charlestown  before  the  battle  commenced 
to  annoy  the  enemy's  left  flank.  They  did  great  exe- 
cution and  then  abandoned  their  dangerous  position 
to  attack  the  right  flank  on  Mystic  River.  Here  the 
captain  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner.     He  died  of 


258 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


his  wounds  in  Boston  Jail."  Lieut.-Col.  Moses  Parker, 
also  of  Chelmsford,  was  wounded  and  left  in  the  re- 
doubt. He  was  a  skillful  and  brave  veteran  of  the 
French  Wars  and  behaved  with  great  gallantry. 

The  British  carried  him  to  Boston,  where  he  died, 
aged  forty-three.  He  was  a  good  officer,  much  be- 
loved by  his  regiment,  and  his  loss  was  severely  felt. 
An  obituary  notice  of  him  in  the  New  England 
Chronicle,  July  21,  1775,  says  :  "  In  him  fortitude, 
prudence,  humanity  and  compassion  all  conspired  to 
heighten  the  lustre  of  his  military  virtues,"  and  it 
states  that  "  through  the  several  commissions  to  which 
his  merit  entitled  him,  he  had  always  the  pleasure  to 
find  that  he  possessed  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his 
soldiers,  and  the  applause  of  his  countrymen."  The 
notice  concludes  :  "  God  grant  each  individual  that 
now  is,  or  may  be  engaged  in  the  American  Army,  an 
equal  magnitude  of  soul,  so  shall  their  names  un- 
sullied, be  transmitted  in  the  latest  catalogue  of  fame, 
and  if  any  vestiges  of  liberty  shall  remain,  their 
praises  shall  be  rehearsed  through  the  earth  till  the 
sickles  of  time  shall  crop  the  nation.'' 

The  first  news  of  the  battle  was  received  in  Chelms- 
ford by  special  messenger  from  Billerica  the  same 
evening,  and  caused  great  excitement  and  anxiety  on 
account  of  the  uncertainty  as  to  the  extent  which  our 
own  men  suffered.  The  alarm-guns  were  fired,  and 
before  morning  several  of  the  wounded  returned. 
Parson  Bridge  writes  in  his  diary  upon  that  day  : 
"  A  terrible  day  this  in  relation  to  our  army,  in  battle 
with  our  oppressors  at  Charlestown.  The  whole  town 
on  fire.  The  armies  engaged  on  Bunker's  Hill.  At 
night  we  saw  a  fire  from  Chelmsford."  On  the  18th 
he  writes  :  "  The  armies  at  Charlestown  still  engaged 
and  news  flying  with  respect  to  the  slain  and 
wounded."  He  expresses  the  intensity  of  his  feel- 
ings in  the  following  language:  "This  is  a  day  big 
with  distress  and  trouble.  Our  enemies  are  those  who 
were  our  brethren  of  the  same  nation,  and  subjects  of 
the  same  king,  and  all  for  the  sake  of  a  wicked  and 
corrupt  ministry,  a  deluded,  a  devilish,  a  venal  parlia- 
ment." 

During  the  seven  long  years  of  the  war  for  inde- 
pendence which  followed  these  opening  battles,  this 
town  took  its  full  share  of  the  burden,  by  providing 
men  and  means,  although  the  names  of  many  of  the 
men  who  served  in  the  army  from  the  town  are  not 
preserved  to  us.  Capt.  John  Minot  enlisted  a  com- 
pany in  December,  1776,  seventeen  of  whom  were 
from  Chelmsford.  In  July,  1776,  Capt.  Ford  and  his 
company  were  again  called  out.  On  the  morning  of 
July  23d,  they  marched  to  the  meeting-house,  where 
the  par.son.  Rev.  Mr.  Bridge,  prayed  with  them  and 
gave  them  a  word  of  exliortalion,  and  then  they  took 
up  the  line  of  march  to  join  the  army  in  Canada. 

In  September,  1777,  Capt.  Ford  was  again  sent 
with  a  company  of  fifty-two  men  to  reinforce  the 
northern  army.  They  were  present  at  the  time  of 
the  surrender  of  Burgoyne.     In  1777  thirty  men  were 


raised  for  three  years  or  during  the  war.  The 
town  voted  to  give  them  a  bounty  of  £20 
each  over  what  the  State  and  Congress 
paid.  In  consequence  of  the  depreciation  of  the 
currency,  it  was  afterward  commuted  to  twenty 
head  of  horned  cattle,  of  a  middling  size,  per  man. 
If  the  war  lasted  one  year  they  were  to  have  their 
cattle  at  one  year  old;  if  it  continued  two  years,  at 
two  years  old,  and  so  on  in  the  same  proportion.  In 
1778,  six  men  were  drafted  to  go  to  Rhode  Island.  In 
1779  sixteen  men  were  enlisted  to  go  to  Rhode  Island 
for  three  months.  In  1780  the  militia  were  em- 
powered by  the  town  to  enlist  fifteen  men  for  the 
Continental  service,  and  the  selectmen  were  instructed 
to  raise  money  and  produce  for  nine  months'  service. 
In  addition  to  the  names  already  given  of  those  who 
lost  their  lives  in  the  service  of  their  country,  the 
history  records  the  names  of  John  Bates,  David 
Spaulding,  Lieut.  Robert  Spaulding,  Pelatiah  Adams 
and  Henry  Fletcher. 

In  May,  1776,  before  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  written,  this  town  anticipated  the  measure 
and  gave  its  adhesion  to  it  in  advance,  by  the  follow- 
ing vote  :  "  If  it  should  be  the  pleasure  of  the  Honor- 
able Continental  Congress  to  declare  an  Independent 
state  with  respect  to  Great  Britain  this  town  will 
stand  by  them  to  the  expense  of  life  and  fortunes." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Col.  Stoddard,  whose  name  is 
so  conspicuous  in  the  period  immediately  preceding 
the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  does  not  figure  in  that 
struggle.  This  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he  continued 
loyal  to  the  government  of  Great  Britain. 

The  feelings  of  respect  in  which  he  had  hitherto 
been  held  now  changed  to  those  of  animosity,  and 
even  his  high  position  did  not  save  him  from  those 
indignities  which  were  everywhere  heaped  upon  the 
Tories.  His  house  was  assailed  with  stones  and  his 
fence  destroyed.' 

Shays'  Rebellion. — The  period  between  the  close 
of  the  war  for  independence  and  the  adoption  of  the 
Federal  Constitution  was  a  trying  one  for  the  new 
nation.  The  history  of  this  time  is  ably  treated  in 
Fisk's  "Critical  Period  of  American  History."  The 
heavy  burden  of  debt  entailed  by  that  long  struggle, 
obnoxious  tariff  laws  between  the  several  States,  and 
the  utter  demoralization  of  the  currency  were  prom- 
inent among  the  causes  of  that  restlessness,  which 
culminated  in  those  deplorable  acts  of  resistance 
which  so  sullied  the  fair  fame  of  Massachusetts, 
known  as  Shays'  Rebellion.  Perhaps  at  no  time  in 
her  history  has  Chelmsford  shone  so  conspicuous 
among  her  sister  towns  for  her  patriotism  as  at 
this  crisis.  Committees  were  chosen  to  co-oporate 
with  those  of  other  towns  in  measures  for  suppressing 
the  insurrection.  A  detachment  from  the  militia 
consisting  of  twenty-six  men  were  in  the  memorable 
expedition   under  General  Lincoln  whicb   marched 

1  B.  P.  Hunt. 


CHELMSFORD. 


259 


thirty  miles  upon  the  30th  of  January  through  the 
wintry  snow  to  meet  the  insurgents. 

War  of  the  Rebellion.— The  record  of  the  town 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  was  in  the  highest  degree 
honorable.  When  President  Lincoln  issued  the  call 
for  75,000  men,  a  public  meeting  was  called  which 
was  fully  attended  and  all  of  the  speeches  expressed 
the  most  patriotic  sentiments.  Three  thousand  dol- 
lars was  pledged  by  individuals  present  to  encourage 
enlistments  and  aid  the  families  of  those  who  should 
enter  the  service. 

Every  call  for  volunteers  was  responded  to.  The 
records  kept  by  the  selectmen  show  that  the  total 
number  of  men  who  had  entered  the  service  accred- 
ited to  the  town  was  229,  which  was  eighteen  in  ex- 
cess of  all  the  calls  which  had  been  made  by  the  gov- 
ernment, and  that  the  town  had  incurred  an  indebt- 
edness in  consequence  of  the  war  amounting  to 
$27,623.  Every  dollar  of  this  honorable  debt  has 
since  been  paid. 

The  account  of  the  selectmen  is  by  no  means  a 
complete  record  of  the  services  of  Chelmsford  soldiers. 
Some  of  the  names,  those  who  served  for  two  differ- 
ent terms  of  enlistment,  appear  twice.  In  the  "  Record 
of  Massachusetts  Volunteers  ''  by  the  adjutant-general, 
the  names  of  Chelmsford  men  apppear  who  are 
not  upon  the  town  records.  One  of  these,  William  R. 
Patch,  was  the  first  Chelmsford  volunteer.  He  was 
not  mustered  in,  but  joined  the  ranks  as  they  were 
marching  to  the  defence  of  the  capital,  and  was 
wounded  at  Baltimore  upon  the  memorable  19th  of 
April,  1861.  In  another  case  the  same  published 
records,  by  an  unfortunate  error,  class  Elijah  N.  Day, 
who  sacridced  his  life  for  his  country,  as  a  deserter, 
one  whom  his  comrades  know  to  have  been  as  true  a 
man  as  ever  faced  the  enemy. 

The  records  should  be  carefully  examined  and  cor- 
rected upjn  the  tjwn-book  wli'.le  there  are  living  wit- 
nesses to  correct  clerical  inaccuracies.  The  following 
are  the  names  of  those  who  did  not  live  to  enjoy  the 
gratitude  of  their  countrymen  : 

Albert  E.  Pike,  Albert  S.  Byam,  Henry  Spaulding,  James  H.  Barton, 
died  at  sea  July  17,  '64  ;  James  Jackson,  John  T.  McCabe,  Henry  W. 
Davidson,  Patrick  Barrett,  Thomas  Cochran,  George  E.  Keed,  George  B. 
Lamphire,  Patrick  Derry,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1862;  George 
Curtis,  killed  at  Battle  of  Wilderness;  Webster  C.  Decatur,  Jonas  V. 
Pierce,  James  Gray.  Peter  McEnany,  killed  at  Battle  of  Fredericksburg 
Dec.  11,  '62  ;  Henry  H.  Ingalls,  Charity  L.  Dunn,  Colnian  S.  Farwell, 
Philip  Whelan,  Elijah  N.  Day,  Michael  Martin. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

CIIELMSFO  RD—{  Conl  inued) . 
EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY. 

The  natural  desire  of  an  intelligent  people  to 
educate  their  children  was,  in  the  case  of  the  found- 
ers  of    New   England,  stimulated  by  their  religious 


zeal.  Of  their  political  fabric  the  Bible  was  the 
chief  corner-stone.  As  they  interpreted  the  Divine 
will,  through  the  written  word, their  course  was  gov- 
erned in  all  things.  It  was  regarded,  therefore,  as  a 
sacred  duty  to  provide  so  much  instruction  as  to  en- 
able the  children  to  read  and  understand  the  Bible. 

The  General  Court  made  education  compulsory. 
In  1642  an  act  was  passed  requiring  the  selectmen  "to 
have  a  vigilant  eye  over  their  brethren  and  neighbors 
to  see  first  that  none  of  them  shall  suffer  so  much 
barbarism  in  any  of  their  families  as  not  to  endeavor 
to  teach,  by  themselves  or  others,  their  children  and 
apprentices  so  much  learning  as  may  enable  them 
perfectly  to  read  the  English  tongue." 

In  1647  towns  of  fifty  householders  must  appoint  a 
teacher,  and  towns  containing  100  householders  must 
have  a  grammar  school. 

For  the  first  forty  years  it  is  probable  that  the 
teaching  was  mainly  confined  to  that  given  by  the 
good  mothers  at  their  homes,  aided,  perhaps,  by  the 
minister. 

The  first  record  of  a  teacher  appointed  by  the  town 
is  as  follows  :  "Samuel  Fletcher  is  Apointed  to  be  a 
scolle-master  for  the  town  for  the  year  1696,  by  order 
of  the  selectmen.     Thomas  Parker  Clarke." 

Samuel  Fletcher,  the  first  school-master,  became 
prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  town,  occupying  at 
different  times  the  several  positions  of  town  clerk, 
treasurer  and  selectman. 

The  next  record  in  regard  to  the  schools  is  evi- 
dently incomplete.  It  reads:  "  May  the  12  :  16:  98 
the  towne  being  m*'  edward  emerson  schoolmaster  for 
the  year  1698."  This  teacher  belonged  to  that  family 
of  Emersons  which  numbered  among  its  descendants 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  of  Concord.  The  town 
granted  him  land  at  different  times.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Dea.  Cornelius  Waldo,  His  house  stood 
where  Mr.  Allan  Cameron  now  lives,  in  Westford  Cen- 
tre, For  the  year  following  the  record  stands:  "Agust 
the  26'''  1699.  the  selectmen  of  said  towne  Apointed 
Samuel  Fletcher  Junr  Schoolmaster  to  Learne  young 
persons  to  write;  on  the  Day  Above  said  Selectmen 
Apointed  for  Scooldames  :  Deacon  Fosters  wife,  Jno 
Wrights  :  Moses  Barretts  wife  and  Joshua  Fletchers 
wife." 

There  was  at  this  time  no  school-house  in  town. 
The  children  gathered  at  the  house  of  the  nearest 
teacher  or  school-dame.  The  teachers  must,  there- 
fore, be  selec*;ed  somewhat  in  reference  to  their  loca- 
tion in  the  different  neighborhoods. 

Deacon  Foster  lived  not  far  from  the  centre  of  the 
town  ;  Joshua  Fletcher  was  in  the  Stony  Brook  neigh- 
borhood, now  in  Westford  ;  Moses  Barrett  was  near 
where  E,  F.  Dupee  new  lives,  in  South  Chelmsford, 
and  John  Wright  lived  at  the  Neck,  now  Lowell, 

For  the  two  succeeding  years  there  was  no  grammar 
school.  Towns  were  often  complained  of  and  fined 
by  the  Court  for  their  neglect  to  provide  suitable 
schools.     Chelmsford  was  now  reminded  of  her  duty 


260 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


in  that  respect,  as  the  following  indicates :  At  a  gen- 
eral town-meeting  "  March  30"',  1702,  A  proposition 
was  mad  whether  we  should  apply  our  selves  to  y" 
General  court  by  our  Debety  in  Releranc  to  our  being 
presented  to  the  quarter  session  &  finned  at  sd  court 
for  not  having  a  Uramraar  School  y'  we  may  endeavor 
by  a  petisionHo  sd  general  court  to  be  eased  in  our 
greivance  on  y'  account  this  was  voted  in  y^  Afirmi- 
tive. 

•'  the  day  above  it  was  voted  y'  y''  selectmen  should 
draw  up  a  a  petision  to  present  to  y*"  General  court  & 
send  it  by  our  Debyty." 

In  August  the  same  year  the  town  chose  a  commit- 
tee to  ''agree  w'  A  scoolmaster  for  sd  Towne."  "Sep- 
tember 4,  1702,  captain  Bowers  cornet  Hili  & 
Eleazar  Brown  s«°  Agreed  w'  Sir  Weld  to  be  our 
scoolmaster  half  a  year  for  15'  y*  sd  Sir  Weld  begun 
to  keep  school  on  y*  1st  of  October,  1702." 

This  teacher  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  the 
first  minister  of  the  church  of  Dunstable.  He  had 
just  graduated  from  Harvard  College.  He  died  in 
1704. 

The  next  year  1703,  "capt  Bowers  and  me"^:  Emer- 
son wer  chosen  to  Joyn  with  the  Selectmen  to  Agree 
with  a  scoll  master  to  save  the  Towne  from  a  fine." 
In  1705  "  the  selectmen  of  sd  towne  Appointed  Moses 
Barron  and  Eben  wright  Scole  Masters  to  teach  young 
parsons  To  Right  And  one  the  Day  a  boue  sd  the 
wido  Burdg  the  wife  of  John  Snow  the  Wife  of 
Israll  Prockter  the  wife  of  old  tom  Cory  the  wife  of 
sargent  Samuell  Foster  war  Appointed  scools  Dames 
for  the  teaching  of  children  to  Reed."  Moses  Bar- 
ron, one  of  the  writing  teachers,  was  also  town  clerk, 
and  the  record  upon  the  town-book,  of  which  the 
above  is  a  copy,  stands  in  his  handwriting.  The  spell- 
ing, use  of  capitals  and  punctuation,  here  snown,  are 
exactly  as  it  appears  upon  the  records. 

He  represented  the  lown  at  the  General  Court  and 
held  other  important  offices.  He  was  town  treasurer 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1719.  His 
house  stood  near  where  Charles  Sweetser  now  lives, 
upon  South  Street.  Ebenezer  Wright,  the  other 
Bchool-master,  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  what  is 
now  Middlesex  Village  in  Lowell.  There  were  three 
brothers,  John,  Joseph  and  Ebenezer,  living  in  that 
section  in  16'J2. 

School -dame  Snow  lived  near  the  present  West  ford 
depot  on  the  Stony  Brook  Railroad.  The  neighbor- 
hood was  known  as  the  "  Stony  Brook  houses."  Mrs. 
Corey  lived  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  near  Great 
Brook,  now  in  Carlisle. 

The  grammar  school  was  found  to  be  a  heavy  bur- 
den of  expense.  For  several  years  it  was  not  sus- 
tained, and  the  town  was  again  brought  to  task  by  the 
Court,  and  a  petition  was  sent  in  "  as  to  an  easnientof 
our  gramer  Scoole." 

At  "A  Generali  Toune  Meting  March  the  7"",  1709- 
10,  voted  that  the  selectmen  shall  agree  With  a  man  to 
teach  children  and  youth  to  Wright  and  sifer  and 


kep  scool  in  Chelmsford,"  and  in  1711  "  the  Selectmen 
are  appointed  By  the  note  of  the  towne  to  provide  a 
Scoolmaster  as  the  Law  Derects."  The  following 
year  five  pounds  were  paid  to  "m'  Cheney  for  being 
our  Scoolmaster." 

From  this  time  forward  the  town  was  not  without  a 
school  for  some  part  of  each  year.  The  grammar 
school,  however,  had  not  yet  become  firmly  estab- 
lished. The  town  was  called  upon  to  answer  for  want 
of  one  in  1714,  1716,  1721  and  again  in  1726. 

At  a  "  Town  Meeting  May  the  :  12"',  1718,  voted  to 
Petition  the  genorall  court  that  the  fishing  place  at 
Pattuctt  may  be  granted  to  Chelmsford  for  the  benifit 
ofseportinga  scoole  in  Chelmsford  the  fishing-place 
one  the  south  side  meremack." 

Before  the  waters  of  the  Merrimack  were  diverted 
from  their  native  channel,  to  furnish  motive-power 
for  manufacturing,  the  fishing  industry  was  a  most 
important  one.  Allen,  writing  in  1820,  says  :  "  The 
quantity  of  salmon,  shad  and  alewives  caught  in 
Chelmsford  annually  may  be  computed  at  about 
twenty-five  hundred  barrels,  besides  a  large  quantity 
of  other  fish  of  less  value."  The  river  derives  its  name 
from  the  Indian  name  of  the  sturgeon. 

As  the  settlements  extended  each  year  farther 
from  the  centre  of  the  town  the  question  of  the  loca- 
tion of  the  schools  assumed  more  importance  and 
sometimes  occasioned  lively  contests.  An  article-an- 
nually appeared  in  the  warrant  for  the  March  meet- 
ing similar  to  the  following : 

"To  agree  and  vote  in  what  part  or  parts  of  the 
said  town  the  Grammar  sctool  or  other  schools  shall 
be  kept  the  year  ensuing,  and  to  act  in  that  affair  as 
shall  be  thought  proj^er."  Upon  this  question,  in 
1716,  the  town  "voated  that  the  scule  master  shall 
keep  scule  in  the  fore  quarters  of  the  town  one  month 
at  a  time  in  one  place. 

"  Voated  that  the  selectmen  shall  determine  wheir 
the  fore  quarters  of  the  town  are." 

This  duty  must  have  taxed  the  wisdom  of  the 
fathers  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Prentice,  of  Cambridge,  was  the 
schoolmaster  for  the  years  1718,  1719,  1720.  He 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1714.  He  was 
afterwards  the  second  ministerof  the  church  of  Dun- 
stable, where  he  labored  until  his  death,  in  1737. 

The  following  is  the  language  of  the  contract  be- 
tween Mr.  Prentice  and  the  town  : 

"Chelmsford,  September  22i1,  1719. 
"The  select  men  have  agreed  with  m'.  Nathaniel  Preutice,  of  Cam- 
bride,  to  keep  scoole  in  Chelmsford  from  the  firs  of  October  next  ensu- 
ing the  Date  untill  the  firs  Day  of  Aprill,  1720,  the  above  sd  Nathaniel 
Prentice  does  obleige  himself  to  Keep  Scoole  six  hours  every  Day  in  sd 
term  exept  it  be  Saturday,  Dayes  which  he  is  alowed  for  himself,  For 
wliith  sd  prentice  is  to  have  eigteen  pounds." 

The  school,  as  we  have  seen,  rotated  between  the 
four  quarters  of  the  town — one  month  at  the  centre 
of  the  town,  the  next,  perhaps,  in  the  Stony  Brook 
neighborhood,  five  miles  distant,  the  third  at  the 
south  end.     This  school  was  usually  near  where  the 


CHELMSFORD. 


261 


No.  3  School-house  was  afterwards  built,  on  the  road 
leading  from  South  Chelmsford  to  Carlisle,  past  the 
house  of  Mr.  Quimby.  The  last  month  was  at  the 
north  end.  This  included,  in  addition  to  the  present 
No.  2  District,  all  that  part  of  the  town  to  the  north 
and  northeast,  including  what  is  now  Lowell. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  in  1718.  It  cost 
£21  10s.,  which  was  paid  by  the  following  con- 
tributors : 

"  m'  Stoddard,  Moses  BarroD,  Josiah  Fletcher,  Deacon  Waring,  Eben 
Foster,  Edward  Spaulding,  William  Fletcher,  John  Bates,  Stephen 
Peirce,  Moses  Parker,  John  Danes,  Nathall  Butterfield,  Sam"  Barron, 
Benoni  Perham,  Eben  Parker,  John  Burge,  Benj.  Parker,  Richard 
Stratton,  Joseph  Foster,  Benjamin  Adams,  Edward  Foster." 

The  land  for  this  building  was  granted  by  the 
town  to  William  Fletcher  for  this  purpose,  and  by 
him  conveyed  to  the  subscribers.  It  appears  by  the 
description  that  this  school-house  stood  upon  land 
now  occupied  by  the  horse-sheds  belonging  to  the 
First  Congregational  Society. 

"Chelmsford,  octobr  the  27"i,  1718. 
"Laid  out  To  W'illam  Fletcher,  one  m'  Moses  Fisk's  Right  three  Rod 
and  half  of  Land  at  the  most  Easterly  Cornar  of  the  bnring  Place  in 
Chelmsford  afore  sd  the  same  being  more  or  Less  to  the  use  of  the  sub- 
scribers to  the  bulding  of  a'Shoole  house  up  on  sd  Land  being  bated  and 
bounded  as  foloweth  Eastwardly  uji  on  a  stake  and  heape  of  stons  south- 
erle  by  the  buring  Place  Wall  to  a  stake  and  heape  of  stons  which  is  the 
most  soutterle  Cornar  on  the  westerle  Cornar  to  a  stake  and  heape  of 
stons,  the  Northerle  Cornar  to  a  stake  and  heape  of  stons  And  to  the 
bounds  first  mentioned. 

"  EPHEIAM  HELDRETH,  "j 

"  John  Wright,  >  Comite." 

"  Jonathan  Bowaes,  J 

"  November  the  28"'  :  1718. 
"  These  Presents  Declars  that  I,  Willam  Fletcher,  a  boue  sd  do  give 
the  three  Rods  and  a  half  a  boue  Laid  oute  at  the  Northerie  Cornar  of 
the  Buring  Place  on  Which  the  Schoole-house  stands  to  them  that  bult 
it  to  them  there  heirs  and  asignes  for  Euer  and  to  that  use  for  euer  as 
"  Witness  my  hand  and  seale  in  Presence  of 
"  Robert  Richardson.        Samuel  HowapiD. 

."  William  Fletchek  [his  seal]." 

The  second  school-house  must  have  been  erected 
soon  after,  for  in  1720  a  road  was  laid  out  from  the 
"  North  School-house "  leading  over  the  home 
meadow  and  Carolina  Plains.  The  building  stood  a 
few  rods  east  of  J.  R.  Parkhurst's  green-houses,  at 
the  point  where  the  road  intersects  with  the  old  Mid- 
dlesex turnpike.  It  is  probable  that  this  school-house 
was  also  paid  fur  by  subscription,  as  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  town  raised  money  for  such  purposes 
prior  to  1794. 

Joseph  Whipple  succeeded  Mr.  Prentice  as  teacher. 
He  continued  from  1721  to  1724. 

Mr.  Whipple's  work  did  not  meet  with  unanimous 
approval.  But  he  was  sustained  by  a  majority  of  the 
citizens  in  the  following  vote  in  1724  :  "  voted  that  the 
Petition  of  Moses  Parker  and  nine  others,  freeholders 
who  Petitioned  that  the  School-master  be  Dismissed 
and  a  committee  chose  to  provide  another  in  his 
Room,  be  dismissed."  Mr.  Thomas  Frink,  of  Sudbury, 
followed  Whipple  and  taught  three  years,  when  the 
town  paid  John  Spaulding — "  to  wait  upon  Mr.  Frink 
home." 


Josiah  Richardson,  Isaac  Richardson,  Joseph  Lov- 
ett  and  Jonathan  Miles  each  taught  for  one  or  two 
years. 

.Samson  Stoddard,  a  son  of  the  minister,  taught  for 
five  years,  ending  in  1734.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
Harvard,  a  gentleman  of  culture  and  strong  char- 
acter. His  relation  to  public  affairs  is  treated  in 
another  place. 

Oliver  Fietcher,  of  this  town,  taught  six  years, 
beginning  in  1750.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard, 
class  of  1735.  He  was  a  person  of  high  character, 
and  received  many  honors  at  the  hands  of  his 
fellow-townsmen.  He  was  town  clerk  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  the  records  that  he  has  left  are  elegantly 
written.  Bridge  refers  to  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1771,  as  a  "  great  loss."  Allen  says  of  him,  "  His 
piety  and  integrity  gave  him  great  ascendancy  over 
his  fellow-townsmen,  and  secured  their  esteem  and 
confidence." 

The  action  of  the  town  in  locating  the  grammar 
school  sometimes  occasioned  great  dissatisfaction  to 
the  people  in  the  more  remote  sections.  In  one  case, 
1724,  when  the  town  voted  to  "  settle"  the  school  at 
the  centre  of  the  town,  two  citizens,  Joseph  Under- 
wood and  Ebenezer  Wright,  entered  their  formal  pro- 
test. Underworld  lived  at  what  is  now  the  centre  of 
Westford,  and  Wright  lived  where  Edwin  Heyward 
now  resides,  near  Chamberlin's  corner.  The  next 
year  the  wishes  of  the  dissenters  were  respected,  and 
the  west  end  was  given  four  months  school. 

For  several  seasons  after  Westford  was  set  off  the 
grammar  school  was  continued  throughout  the  year 
at  the  centre  of  the  town.  At  other  times  the  vote 
would  be  to  keep  "one-half  in  the  north  end  and  one- 
half  in  the  south  end,"  and  again  it  would  be  decided 
to  "  circulate."  None  of  the  plans  met  with  suffi- 
cient favor  to  become  permanent  until  1757.  That 
year  the  time  was  divided  between  the  north  end,  the 
centre  and  the  south  end.  This  method  was  annually 
adopted,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions,  until  the 
formation  of  the  school  districts  in  1792. 

The  north  end  embraced  what  is  now  District  No. 
2,  and  North  Chelmsford  (then  called  Newfield)  and 
the  neck  (now  Lowell).  The  school-house  for  this 
wide  section  was  less  than  two  miles  from  the  centre 
of  the  town,  but  the  school  was  sometimes  kept  at  a 
dwelling-house  at  the  neck,  "  where  the  neighbor- 
hood should  appoint." 

The  school-house  at  the  south  end  was  built  about 
1753.  It  was  upon  the  road  leading  from  South 
Chelmsford  to  Carlisle,  past  the  house  of  Mr.  Quimby. 
The  old  school-house  now  forms  a  portion  of  a  dwell- 
ing, upon  the  same  spot. 

Schools  of  a  primary  grade,  for  "  reeding,  Righting 
and  Cyphering,"  were  provided  at  the  same  time  for 
the  different  sections  and  held  in  dwelling-houses. 

In  1781,  in  addition  to  the  grammar  school,  the 
town  voted  "Nine  months  Righting-school,  three 
mos    in      Neck,     so-called,     extending    from     Mr. 


262 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


Timothy  Clark'c*  to  the  mouth  of  Concord  and  to  Mr. 
Simeon  Moreses  and  to  Mr.  Pierieces  So  by  Mr.  Philip 
Parkers. 

"  Voted  one  month  schooling  at  Newfield,  one  month 
at  Mr.  David  Spaulding's,  one  month  in  Concord 
River  Neck,  so-called,  and  five  weeks  on  the  mill 
road,  so-called,  and  eight  weeks  at,  or  near,  Mr.  John 
Adams." 

This  record  is  valuable,  as  it  defines  the  limits  of 
the  neck  district,  and  furnishes  a  basis  for  estimat- 
ing the  population  of  Lowell  one  hundred  years  ago. 

Timothy  Clark  lived  in  Middlesex,  near  the  head 
of  Baldwin  Street. 

Simeon  Mores'  house  stood  upon  what  is  now 
Moore  Street.  Joseph  Pierce  lived  near  the  present 
City  Farm  buildings,  and  Philip  Parker  upon  West 
Pine  Street,  near  the  Highland  School.  This  district 
then  embraced  all  of  what  is  now  Lowell,  excepting 
what  lies  beyond  the  Concord  and  Merrimack 
Rivers. 

The  children  were  provided  with  three  months' 
school  in  the  little  red  school-house,  which  stood  upon 
what  is  now  School  Street,  near  the  cemetery.  The 
first  mention,  in  the  records,  of  a  school-house  in  this 
section  was  in  1767. 

Soon  after  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion, in  1789,  the  school  district  system  began  to  de- 
velop. Up  to  this  time  the  management  of  the 
schools  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  selectmen.  In 
1792  this  authority  was,  for  the  first  time,  transferred 
to  a  School  Committee,  as  it  has  since  continued. 
The  change  was  not  made  without  a  struggle.  But 
after  several  adjournments  and  attempts  at  reconsid- 
erations, the  following  vote  was  recorded:  "that  a 
select  committee  be  chosen  to  provide  the  grammar 
school-masters  and  all  other  school-masters,  and  that 
said  committee  proportion,  inspect  and  regulate  said 
schools." 

The  committee  chosen  consisted  of  nine  persona, 
one  from  each  district  or  "  squadron."  In  1794  it  was 
"voted  to  raise  £250,  for  the  purpose  of  building 
school -houses,  each  squadron  to  draw  their  own 
money  for  building  their  school-house,  location  de- 
cided by  vote  of  members  of  squadrons." 

In  the  year  1800  the  town  supported  twelve  schools, 
at  an  expense  of  six  hundred  dollars.  They  were  lo- 
cated as  follows : 

At  the  middle  of  the  town,  now  District  1. 

At  the  North  School-house,  now  District  2. 

Near  Ebenezer  Parker's,  now  District  3,  South 
Chelmsford. 

At  Mill  Row,  now  District  4. 

At  Squadron  by  Capt.  Benj.  Fletcher's,  now  District 
5. 

At  Concord  River  Neck,  now  District  6,  East 
Chelmsford. 

At  school-house  by  Simon  Stevens',  now  District  7. 

At  Newfield,  now  District  8,  North  Chelmsford. 

At  Grate  Neck,  now  Lowell. 


At  school-house  by  Joseph  Adams'  and 

At  school-house  by  Benjamin  Chamberlain's. 

One  of  thfse  last  was  undoubtedly  in  Carlisle, 
where  the  school-house  now  stands,  north  of  Great 
Brook,  and  the  other  was  in  Lowell.  This  portion  of  the 
town  had  now  begun  to  develop.  The  little  red  school- 
house  was  outgrown,  and  three  others  took  its  place, — 
one  at  the  corner  of  Parker  and  Powell  Streets,  an- 
other on  Pawtucket  Street  where  the  City  Hospital 
stands,  and  the  third  at  Middlesex. 

In  these  district  schools  men  teachers  were  usually 
employed  for  the  winter  terms  and  women  for  the 
summer.  The  grammar  school  now  disappears,  and  its 
loss  must  have  gone  far  towards  offsetting  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  new  system. 

In  1801  a  new  school-house  was  built  in  the  "Mill 
Row  "  District  (now  No.  4),  costing  $310,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  a  new  brick  school-house  took  the  place 
of  the  original  structure  at  District  No.  1,  at  a  cost  of 
$500.  This  building  is  now  used  by  the  town  for  a 
hearse-house. 

The  district  schools  had  some  famous  teachers, 
among  whom  was  Willard  Parker,  afterwards  the  em- 
inent physician  of  New  York.  He  taught  in  the 
old  brick  school-house  in  the  winters  of  1821,  '22  and 
'23.^  Dr.  Parker  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  five 
brothers  who  came  from  Wobum  and  settled  in 
Chelmsford  in  1658.  He  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1826,  studied  medicine  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  John  C.  Warren,  Professor  of  Surgery  in  Har- 
vard University,  and  took  his  degree  of  M.D.  in  1830. 
He  was  at  once  appointed  Professor  of  Anatomy  at 
the  Medical  School  at  Woodstock,  Vt.,  and  the  same 
year,  the  same  position  at  the  Berkshire  Medical  In- 
stitution. His  appointment  to  the  chair  of  surgfry 
a'u  the  same  college  soon  followed.  In  1836  he  filled 
the  chair  of  surgery  at  the  Cincinnati  Medical  Col- 
lege. He  soon  after  visited  Europe  and  spent  consid- 
erable time  in  the  hospitals  of  London  and  Paris. 
Upon  his  return  he  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  sur- 
gery in  the  College  of  Physicians  in  New  York  City, 
a  position  which  he  held  for  thirty  years.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy  of  Medicine  and 
at  one  time  its  president. 

In  1870  the  degree  of  LL.D.  was  conferred  upon 
him  by  a  college  in  New  Jersey.  Dr.  Parker  was  a 
son  of  Jonathan  Parker,  who  removed  to  New  Hamp- 
shire when  a  young  man.  He  returned  to  Chelms- 
ford when  Willard  was  five  years  old  and  settled  upon 
the  hill  where  Riley  Davis  now  lives  on  South  Street. 
Jonathan  was  "Jock"  in  those  days,  and  he  was 
called  "  Hill  Jock  "  to  distinguish  him  from  another 
Jonathan  Parker,  his  next  neighbor,  who  was  called 
"  Trooper  Jock." 

Dr.  Parker  always  retained  his  interest  in  Chelms- 
ford. He  kept  the  old  homestead  until  near  the  close 
of  his  life,  when  the  care  of  it  became  too  perplexing. 
_ 

1  Letter  of  Dr.  Parker  written  in  1877  to  H.  S.  Perham. 


CHELMSFORD. 


263 


The  feelings  with  which  he  regarded  it  are  shown  in 
a  letter  written  in  1879  :  "  I  love  it  as  my  old  home, 
and  where  my  parents  lived,  worked  hard  and  died." 
His  death  occurred  in  New  York  City  in  April,  1884. 

Chelmsford  Classical  School. — The  desire  of 
the  people  for  better  educational  advantages,  for 
those  wishing  to  pursue  the  more  advanced  studies, 
led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Chelmsford  Classical 
School  in  1825.  The  building,  which  has  since  been 
converted  into  a  parsonage  for  the  Central  Baptist 
Society,  was  erected  for  that  purpose.  The  funds  for 
the  support  of  the  school  were  furnished  by  individual 
enterprise. 

The  management  was  entrusted  to  the  following 
Board  of  Trustees  : 

Abel  Hunt,  Eev.  Wilkes  Allen,  Rev.  Abiel  Abbott, 
Samuel Bachelder,  Esq.,  Oliver  M.  Whipple,  Jonathan 
Perhsm,  Esq.,  J.  S.  C.  Knowlton,  Esq.,  Capt.  Josiah 
Fletcher,  Sen.,  Dr.  J.  C.  Daiton,  Owen  Emerson,  Jr., 
Cranmore  Wallace,  Captain  William  Fletcher,  Dr.  J. 
O.  Green,  Dr.  Rufus  Wyman,  Otis  Adams,  Joel 
Adams,  Esq.,  Joseph  Warren,  Captain  John  (?)  But- 
terfield. 

The  trustees  with  rare  good  fortune  secured  the 
services  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  of  Concord,  as 
teacher. 

Although  the  Chelmsford  Classical  School  had  a 
brief  existence  the  town  has  occasion  to  feel  proud  of 
its  results.  Probably  at  no  other  period  has  so  many 
young  men  gone  out  from  the  schools  of  Chelmsford 
to  gain  distinction  abroad  and  confer  honor  upon  their 
native  town. 

The  following  distinguished  men  were  among  the 
pupils  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  or  the  teachers  who 
immediately  followed  him:  Judge  Josiah  G.Abbott,  of 
Boston  ;  Hon.  Fletcher  Abbott,  Esq.,  who  died  at 
Toledo,  Ohio ;  Morrill  Wyman,  A.M.,  M.D.,  LL.D., 
who  is  still  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts ;  Professor  Jeffries  Wyman, 
M.D. ;  the  late  Benjamin  P.  Hunt,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
the  late  Professor  John  Daiton,  M.D.,  of  New  York, 
who  gained  a  national  reputation  in  his  profession. 

J.  G.  Abbott  entered  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of 
thirteen.  After  completing  his  studies  there  hechose 
the  profession  of  the  law,  in  which  he  rapidly  rose  to 
distinction.  He  has  also  occupied  many  high  posi- 
tions of  political  honor,  among  them  that  of  member 
of  the  United  States  Congress.  A  more  extended 
notice  of  him  is  given  in  the  chapter  upon  the  Mid- 
dlesex Bar.  Benjamin  P.  Hunt,  born  May  18,  1808, 
entered  Harvard  College  in  1828.  From  there  he 
went  to  Philadelphia  and  engaged  in  teaching  a  clas- 
sical and  scientific  school.  He  sailed  for  Kingston, 
Jamaica,  March  6, 1840,  in  the  capacity  of  supercargo. 
He  wrote  an  account  of  his  voyage  which  was  pub- 
lished in  The  Dial  in  1843.  Emerson  said  of  it: 
"  It  seems  to  me  the  best  of  all  sea  voyages.  Besides 
its  rhetorical  value,  it  has  another  quite  additional, 


inasmuch  as  it  realizes  so  fully  for  me  the  promise  of 
the  large,  wise  boy  who  made  my  school-days  in 
Chelmsford  so  glad  by  his  lively  interest  in  books  and 
his  native  delight  in  ethical  thought,  and  life  looks 
more  solid  and  rich  to  me  when  I  see  these  many 
years  keep  their  faith."  Hawthorne  pays  the  follow- 
ing high  tribute  to  the  literary  excellence  of  the  arti- 
cle— "  a  solid  example  of  facts  which  had  not  lost  their 
vigor  by  passing  through  the  mind  of  a  thinker." 

In  1842  Mr.  Hunt  went  to  Hayti  and  became  the 
head  of  a  wealthy  mercantile  house. 

Although  actively  engaged  in  business  his  scholarly 
mind  was  at  work  in  other  directions.  He  made  a 
study  of  the  West  Indian  negro  character,  and  he  got 
together  a  unique  collection  of  books  relating  to  those 
islands.  It  is  said  that  his  collection  of  works  relat- 
ing to  the  Antilles  is  the  most  complete  in  the  coun- 
try, if  not  in  the  world. 

In  1858  he  retired  from  business  and  settled  in 
Philadelphia.  Here  he  became  actively  engaged  in 
charitable  and  philanthropical  movements,  especially 
those  for  the  benefit  of  the  freedmen. 

Through  his  efforts  the  orphans  of  the  negro  sol- 
diers were  collected  and  provided  for  in  a  home  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Delaware.  In  June,  1869,  Mr.  Hunt 
was  requested  by  President  Grant,  through  Secretary 
Fish,  to  "join  a  party  of  gentlemen  going  to  the  West 
Indies  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  information  con- 
cerning several  interesting  localities  in  those  islands, 
but  more  especially  Saint  Domingo."  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  project  of  annexation,  but  sickness 
prevented  his  taking  part  with  the  commission, 

Jeffries  Wyman  was  Professor  of  Anatomy  at  Har- 
vard College  at  the  time  of  the  famous  murder  of  Dr. 
Parkman  by  Professor  Webster,  and  the  trial  largely 
turned  upon  the  scientific  investigations  of  Professor 
Wyman.     His  death  occurred  September  4,  1874. 

The  need  of  better  educational  advantages  than 
were  offered  by  the  public  schools  led  to  a  movement 
in  1859  for  the  establishment  of  a  school  of  a  higher 
grade.  The  use  of  the  building  erected  for  the 
Chelmsford  Classical  School,  thirty-four  years  before, 
was  obtained,  and  on  Aug.  29,  1859,  the  "  Chelmsford 
Academy  "  was  opened.  Albert  Stickney,  A.B.,  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  University,  was  the  principal. 
The  trustees  were:  Levi  Howard,  M.D.,  William 
Fletcher,  Dea.  David  Perham,  Charles  H.  Daiton, 
Edward  F.  Richardson,  Solomon  E.  Byamand  Edwin 
H.  Warren. 

Mr.  Stickney  was  succeeded  by  Edward  E.  Spald- 
ing, now  of  Passadena,  Cal.  Mr.  Spalding  was  a 
native  of  the  town,  and  had  had  a  long  and  success- 
ful experience  as  an  instructor. 

But  in  the  mean  time  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
came  on.  Some  of  the  pupils  joined  the  ranks  of  the 
army.  The  trustees  were  unable  to  secure  the  sup- 
port necessary  for  its  maintenance,  and  in  1862  the 
school  was  closed. 


264 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


CHAPTER  XVIir. 

CHELMSFORD— { Continued). 

MANUFACTURES. 

The  first  saw-mili,  established  in  1656,  has  already 
been  mentioned.  In  1669  the  town  granted  a  large 
tract  of  land  to  Thomas  Henchman,  William  flet- 
cherand  Josiah  Richardson  to  encourage  the  erection 
of  another  saw-mill  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town.  The  contract  stipulated  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town  "shall  have  their  boards  at  four  shillings 
per  hundred,  and  not  exceeding  that  price,  for  any 
kind  of  pay  that  the  inhabitants  can  make  at  price 
current  between  man  and  man,  in  this  town  ;  and  that 
any  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  town,  by  giving  timely 
notice  to  any  of  the  owners,  shall  be  supplied  for 
their  pay  before  others.  And  it  is  further  agreed 
that  the  aforesaid  owners  of  the  mill  shall  have  full 
liberty  to  take  from  the  town  common  what  timber 
they  see  meet  to  work  in  the  mill." 

The  location  of  this  mill  was  at  what  is  now  called 
Westford  Corner,  upon  Saw-mill  Meadow  Brook, 
M'hich  flows  from  Nabnasset  Pond  and  empties  into 
the  Stony  Brook  at  that  point.  A  mill  was  continued 
here  until  within  the  memory  of  persons  now 
living. 

There  is  some  evidence  of  there  having  been  a  mill 
at  an  early  day  upon  Stony  Brook  below  the  file  shop 
at  West  Chelmsford.  An  excavation  like  a  wheel-pit 
is  still  pointed  out,  and  marks  of  an  old  cart-path 
leading  in  the  direction  of  the  Crooked  Springs 
Rnad.  The  late  Dea.  Isainh  Spaulding  (born  1792)  re- 
lated the  tradition  that  a  corn-mill  stood  there. 

In  1678  a  saw-mill  was  built  upon  Beaver  Brook,  at 
the  centre  of  the  town,  by  Abraham  Parker  and  his 
sons,  Moses  and  John.  It  is  probable  that  a  grist- 
mill was  soon  added,  as  a  deed  given  by  Abraham  to 
.John,  in  1679,  mentions  "y''  upper  &  low''  Dam.'' 
The  old  wheel-pit  of  the  mill  at  the  upper  dam  is  still 
to  be  seen  beside  the  railroad  track,  a  few  rods  above 
the  machine-shop.  The  entrance  to  this  mill  was 
from  the  "  lane,"  at  the  point  where  Alfred  Day  now 
resides.  The  mill  was  removed  to  the  lower  dam 
within  the  memory  of  the  older  residents.  Dutton 
Brothers  (Lewis  M.  and  Edwin  E.)  are  the  present 
proprietors. 

In  1673  (Feb.  3d)  the  following  action  was  taken  by 
the  town  :  "  the  day  above,  by  a  major  voatt  was 
granted  to  farther  the  Iron-woiks  that  thy  shall  have 
for  M.  a  cord  leave  to  cutt  wood  acording  to  former 
agreement."  I  find  no  further  record  in  regard  to 
iron-work  at  so  early  a  date.  It  probably  refers  to 
works  near  the  outlet  of  Forge  Pond,  then  in 
Groton. 

The  people  in  the  east  part  of  the  town  were  ac- 
commodated by  a  grist-mill  upon  the  Coucord  River 
at  what  is  now  North  Billerica.     The  following  vote 


refers  to  the  mill  at  that  place:  "7  of  March,  1721-2. 
Voted  that  the  Selectmen  in  the  name  of  the  Town 
Petition  to  the  Hon'^  General  Court  that  Mr.  Christo- 
pher Osgood's  mill  Dam  may  be  speedily  erected 
again."  Osgood's  grant  from  the  town  of  Billerica 
was  in  1708. 

The  Third  Grist-Milt..— In  1695  Daniel  Waldo 
had  leave  "to  set  up  a  grist-mill  at  the  mouth  of  stony 
brook  below  the  way  that  leads  to  Dunstable  between 
Merrimack  river  and  the  bridge."  He  was  obliged  to 
contract  "to  grind  the  corn  anr^  malt  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Chelmsford,  except  on  the  forth  day  of  each 
week,  which  was  appropriated  to  the  use  of  Dunsta- 
ble. He  was  to  grind  the  town's  corn  and  malt  for 
half  toll,  except  a  small  quantity  as  a  bushel,  or  the 
like,  and  according  to  turn,  as  much  as  may  be."  ' 
The  original  mill  was  situated  on  the  northerly  side 
of  Sr,ony  Brook. 

In  1709  the  mill  was  owned  by  one  John  Richard- 
son, as  at  a  town-meeting  held  May  25,  1709,  "It  was 
voted  that  John  Richardson  shall  have  the  Liberty  of 
Drawing  of  the  pond  called  New- field  pond  to  suply 
his  mill  with  Water;  and  shall  have  the  benefit  of  sd 
pond  to  thet  high-water  mark."-  Acting  under  this 
authority,  he  dug  through  a  narrow  bank  which  sepa- 
rated the  pond  from  the  Stony  Brook  Valley.  The 
water,  let  into  a  sandy  channel  which  they  had  dug 
for  it,  soon  cut  a  passage  for  itself,  carrying  in  its 
current  a  negro,  who  happened  to  be  the  only  person 
in  the  ditch  at  the  time,  until  a  pond,  covering  ninety 
acres,  was  in  a  very  short  time  emptied,  leaving  only 
about  one  acre  covered  with  water.  The  body  of  the 
negro  was  never  found. 

The  mill  property  and  quite  a  tract  of  adjacent 
land  came  into  the  possession  of  William  Adams, 
Esq.,  in  part,  through  a  descendiint  of  John  Richard- 
son, and  an  ancestor  of  Mr.  Adams.  In  1814  Mr. 
Adams  rebuilt  the  grist-mill  on  the  southerly  side  of 
the  brook,  on  an  improved  plan,  with  three  runs  of 
atone,  each  run  by  a  separate  tub-wheel,  each  one  of 
which  was  at  a  different  height,  so  as  to  be  able  to  run 
one  or  all,  according  to  the  height  of  the  water  in  the 
river.  The  corn-mill  had  a  fauning-wheel  near  the 
mouth  of  the  shoe  to  blow  out  the  chaff.  The  other 
had  a  tin  sieve  to  let  out  the  sand,  sorrel  and  other 
small  impurities.  The  saw-mill  was  rebuilt  in  1815.' 
Mr.  Adams  owned  and  occupied  the  mill  until  1822, 
when  it  was  sold  to  the  Merrimack  Manufacturing 
Company,  by  whom  it  was  purchased  to  secure  the 
right  of  flowage  by  the  erection  of  the  dam  at  Paw- 
tucket  Falls.  It  was  sold  by  the  Merrimack  Manu- 
facturing Company  to  the  Locks  and  Canal  Company, 
who  leased  it  to  different  parties  until  1839,  when  it 
was  sold  to  Lincoln  Drake.  In  1842  Lincoln  Drake 
sold  to  Charles  Blood.  In  1845  Charles  Blood  sold 
one-half  to  William  Swett.     In  1848  William  Sweit 

1  Allen's  "  History  of  Chelmsford,"  p.  30. 
-  TiTinscript  of  town  record,  p.  172, 
••*  Allen's  "  History,"  p.  32. 


CHELMSFORD. 


265 


sold  his  half  to  Joel  Paige.  In  1861,  Edward  Lamson, 
J.  E.  Rogers  and  Warren  C.  Hamblet  bought  the 
mill.  From  1695  to  this  time  the  privilege  had  been 
used  for  grinding  grain  and  sawing  lumber.  Between 
the  years  1863  and  1868  the  saw-mill  was  taken  out, 
an  additional  story  put  on  the  saw-mill  building  and 
the  mill  utilized  for  grinding  and  storing  grain  for 
a  grain-store  in  Lowell. 

A  spice  and  drug-mill  was  also  introduced,  where 
drugs  were  ground  for  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co.,  for  the  com- 
pounding of  their  medicines.  Large  quantities  of 
gypsum  were  ground  at  one  time  during  their  occu- 
pancy of  the  mill.  For  a  short  time  a  portion  of  the 
room  was  occupied  in  the  manufacture  of  worsted 
yarn  by  Sharp  &  Axtell.  Later  the  manufacture  of 
hosiery  was  carried  on  for  a  time. 

In  1868  James  C.  Dodge  bought  the  mill,  and  in 
1871  sold  one-half  his  interest  to  John  G.  Sherburn, 
using  it  largely  for  milling  purposes  in  connection 
with  a  grain  and  flour  store  kept  by  them  in  Lowell. 

From  1872  to  1882  the  premises  were  occupied  by 
Gray,  Palmer  &  Pendergast,  for  the  manufacture  of 
shoddy,  who  turned  out  some  250,000  pounds  of 
shoddy  a  year,  being  very  successful  financially  until 
the  dissolution  of  the  partnership  in  the  latter  year. 
After  the  removal  of  the  shoddy  business  in  1882,  the 
mill  remained  substantially  idle,  the  buildings  going 
to  decay  and  the  dam  rotting  and  being  washed  away 
until  1887,  when  Mr.  Geo.  C.  Moore  bought  the  privi- 
lege, and  in  1888  tore  down  the  old  grist-mill  part, 
and  in  1889  removed  the  last  of  the  dam,  building  a 
substantial  wall  on  either  side  of  the  brook  from  the- 
bridge  to  the  original  site  of  the  dam,  using  them  as 
abutments  for  a  railroad  bridge,  occupying  the  re- 
maining building  for  storage  purposes. 

It  appears  that  an  early  date  the  quantity  of  bog 
ore  found  on  the  borders  of  the  meadows  in  town  at- 
tracted attention,  and  was  utilized  to  some  extent, 
from  the  following,  found  in  original  town  records 
book  marked  1656,  page  118: 

From  a  transcript  of  town  records,  page  17,  is  the 
following  : 

"At  a  Gen'll  Town  meeting,  march  the  4th,  1706-7, 
Jonathan  Richardson  and  John  Richardson  had 
granted  the  Liberty  of  erecting  Iron  works  upon 
Stony  brook  with  convenency  of  flowing  provided  it 
Damnifies  none  of  the  inhabetants."  Where  these 
iron  works  were  located  the  memory  of  the  oldest  in- 
habitants retains  no  tradition. 

About  the  year  1823,  Esquire  William  Adams, 
thought  that  with  the  growth  of  Lowell,  then  j  ust  devel- 
oping, the  amount  of  iron  ore  in  this  vicinity  might  be 
advantageously  used,  and  secured  the  favorable  opinion 
of  Gen.  Shepard  Leech,  of  Easton,  who  was  then  run- 
ning a  foundry  in  Easton  and  also  in  Boston.  To  ob- 
tain the  necessary  water-power,  Mr.  Adams  conceived 
the  idea  of  filling  the  breach  in  the  bank  of  the  origi- 
nal Newfield  Pond,  cut  out  in  1709,  and  by  cutting  a 
canal  from  near  the  foot  of  the  scythe  factory  dam  at 


West    Chelmsford,   to  fill  the  pond   to    its   original 
capacity.  ^ 

A  canal  cut  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  pond  to  the 
present  foundry  works  would  utilize  the  whole  fall. 
He  purchased  the  land  necessary  for  the  upper  canal 
not  already  owned  by  him,  and  in  1824  sold  to  Gen. 
Leech  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  upper  canal, 
with  all  the  original  pond  bottom,  and  nineteen  acres 
and  fifteen  rods  of  land  now  included  in  the  village 
of  North  Chelmsford,  together  with  the  right  to  dig 
and  maintain  a  canal  from  the  pond  to  the  village. 

The  canals  were  dug,  the  pond  filled,  and  a  blast 
furnace  was  erected  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  a  part 
of  Mr.  Moore's  mill.  The  first  iron  was  made  from 
ore  obtained  in  the  vicinity,  in  1825. 

A  large  part  of  the  ore  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
iron  was  obtained  from  Chelmsford  and  the  neigh- 
boring towns,  brought  mostly  by  farmers  with  their 
own  teams,  and  reduced  by  the  use  of  charcoal.  Ore, 
called  stone-ore,  was  brought  from  Boston,  via  Mid- 
dlesex Canal,  and  mixed  with  native  ore.  The  blast 
furnace  was  in  use  as  late  as  1840. 

Large  tracts  of  land  within  six  or  eight  miles  of 
the  furnace  were  stripped  of  wood,  which  was  con- 
verted into  charcoal  for  this  purpose.  A  large  brick- 
kiln was  built,  for  making  charcoal,  in  the  rear  of 
the  furnace,  but  was  not  a  success.  The  brick  block 
belonging  to  Silver  &  Gay  was  built,  in  1842,  from 
the  bricks  of  this  kiln. 

A  small  cupola  furnace  was  built  about  the  time 
the  works  were  started  for  melting  scrap-iron,  and 
large  pieces  of  ore  as  well  as  pig-iron,  at  a  later  date. 

In  1833,  after  the  death  of  General  Leech,  the 
property  came  into  the  possession  of  Lincoln  Drake, 
also  of  Easton,  who  carried  on  the  foundry  business 
till  1849.  Williams,  Bold  &  Co.  were  proprietors 
and  carried  on  the  business  till  1857. 

Mr.  George  T.  Sheldon,  president  of  the  present 
Chelmsford  Foundry  Co.,  bought  the  real  estate  in 
1858,  and  the  present  Chelmsford  Iron  Foundry  Co. 
was  organized.  They  have  an  office  in  Boston,  and 
are  largely  engaged  in  preparing  the  iron  work  for 
building  purposes,  furnishing  both  cast  and  wrought- 
iron,  much  of  which  is  finished  and  put  in  place  by 
contract. 

In  1888  a  shop,  eighty  by  forty-four  feet,  and  two 
stories  high,  was  erected  in  connection  with  their  foun- 
dry for  thefinishing  and  fitting  up  these  works.  An  ad- 
dition, sixty  by  thirty  feet,  one  story  high,  was  erected 
in  1890.  They  also  occupy  a  shop  in  Boston  and 
another  in  Cambridge  for  the  same  purpose.  In  their 
foundry  and  shops  in  the  several  places  they  employ 
about  150  hands.  From  1825  many  heavy  castings 
were  made  for  the  mills  erected  in  Lowell,  Nashua 
and  Manchester,  especially  in  the  line  of  heavy  gears, 
until  the  burning  of  their  pattern-house  in  1875. 


1  The  original   pond  bottom  was  now  nearly  covered  with   a  heavy 
growth  of  wood. 


266 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


The  stone-ore,  pig-irou,  hard  coal,  sand  and  other 
materials  used  in  a  foundry  were  brought  from  Bos- 
ton to  North  Chelmsford  in  canal-boats,  by  way  of 
the  Middlesex  Canal  and  Merrimack  River,  till  1853, 
when  the  canal  was  given  up.  The  boats  were 
"poled  "up  from  the  head  of  the  canal  into  the 
pond  below  the  grist-mill  dam,  and  the  freights 
transferred  to  carts  and  conveyed  to  the  places  of 
their  use.  Castings  were  frequently  sent  to  Boston 
by  the  same  route. 

Machine-Shop. — Soon  after  General  Leech  com- 
menced operations  in  the  foundry  business  he  erected 
a  blacksmith-shop,  containing  some  machinery,  on 
the  site  of  the  present  machine-shop,  which  was 
burned.  The  brick  portion  of  the  present  shop  was 
built  later,  and  in  1834,  Lincoln  Drake,  successor  to 
General  Leech,  sold  one-fourth  of  the  property  to 
Mr.  Ira  Gay ;  and  in  1838  he  sold  one-fourth  to  Mr. 
Ziba  Gay,  both  residents  of  Nashua.  Mr.  Ziba  Gay 
secured  the  interest  of  his  brother  Ira  after  the  de- 
cease of  the  latter.  In  1842  Captain  Drake  sold  one- 
fourth  interest  to  Mr.  Harvey  Silver.  After  Captain 
Drake  failed,  in  1849,  the  remaining  fourth  part 
came,  through  several  successive  owners,  into  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Silver,  in  1859.  Mr.  Ziba  Gay,  Jr.^ 
succeeded  his  father,  and  the  shop  has  been  run  by 
Gay  &  Silver,  and  Silver  &  Gay,  for  many  years. 

Machinists'  tools,  turbine-wheels  and  worsted  ma- 
chinery have  been  extensively  manufactured  here  ; 
and  at  present  worsted  machinery,  ball-winders  and 
spring-pins  constitute  the  principal  manufactures. 
The  shop  has  a  capacity  for  the  employment  of  100 
men, 

Swain's  Machine-Shop. — In  1867  Mr,  Asa  M. 
Swain,  having  purchased  the  site  of  au  old  saw-mill  on 
the  road  leading  from  North  Chelmsford  to  Dunstable 
built  asubstantial  dam  across  Biodgetts'  Brook  (called  in 
the  early  history  of  the  town  Deep  Brook),  and  erected 
a  shop,  80x43  feet,  one  story  high,  for  the  manufacture 
of  a  very  fine  turbine-wheel,  patented  by  himself,  and 
known  as  Swain's  turbine-wheel.  This  shop  was  run 
about  ten  years,  affording  work  at  one  time  for  twenty 
men.  It  was  given  up  about  1877,  and  came  into  the 
possession  of  Dr.  Simpson,  remaining  unoccupied  till 
1889,  when  it  was  taken  down  and  the  lumber  removed. 

Baldwin  Mill. — A  mill  was  erected  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  worsted  yarn  and  carpets  in  1841,  and  a 
company  was  afterwards  organized  as  the  Baldwin 
Manufacturing  Company,  which  was  very  successfully 
operated  for  several  years,  until  near  the  close  of  the 
war,  when,  with  many  similar  companies,  they  failed, 
and  the  privilege  has  since  been  unoccupied.  The 
present  proprietor  is  G.  H.  Sheldon. 

Moore's  Mill.— In  1872,  Mr.  Geo.  C.  Moore,  then 
a  young  man,  bought  of  G.  T.  Sheldon  the  old 
foundry  on  the  northerly  side  of  the  passage-way 
leading  from  the  Lowell  road  to  the  old  turnpike, 
near  the  brook,  with  the  water  privilege,  except  cer- 
tain rights  previously  sold  and  certain  rights  reserved 


by  Mr.  Sheldon.  Machinery  was  put  in  and  wool- 
scouring  was  at  once  commenced.  In  1875  he 
erected  a  brick-mill,  100x70  feet,  three  stories  high. 
A  part  of  the  building  was  rented  to  Mr.  Richard 
Rhodes  for  the  manufacture  of  worsted  yarn,  and 
wool-scouring  was  carried  on  in  other  parts.  Oct.  10, 
1875,  this  new  mill,  just  completed,  together  with  the 
old  foundry  boarding-house,  foundry  carpenter's  shop, 
ware-dressing  shop,  pattern-shop  and  counting-room 
were  burned. 

A  temporary  wooden  building,  100x40  feet,  one 
story  high,  was  soon  erected  and  wool-cleansing  re- 
sumed. In  1877  a  new  brick  mill,  220x70  feet,  one 
story  high,  was  erected,  covering  the  temporary  wooden 
building,  so  that  wool-cleansing  was  not  interrupted 
during  the  rebuilding. 

In  1885  an  additional  brick  building,  140-76  feet, 
two  stories  high,  was  erected  on  the  easterly  end  of 
the  one-story  building. 

In  1888  a  second  story  of  brick,  120x70  feet,  was 
put  on  to  the  easterly  end  of  the  one-story  building, 
and  a  brick  building,  45x56  feet,  two  stories  high,  was 
added  to  the  easterly  end  of  the  mill,  for  a  machine- 
shop  and  a  carpenter's  shop.  The  lower  story  of  the 
two-story  mill,  now  260x76  feet,  is  used  for  sorting 
and  drying  wool,  and  carding  and  combing  wool. 
The  second  story  is  used  for  spinning  worsted  yarn 
and  for  a  counting-room. 

In  1890  the  old  walls  of  the  westerly  end  of  the  one- 
story  building  were  torn  away,  and  a  new  building, 
100x70  feet,  three  stories  high,  erected,  to  increase  the 
facilities  for  cleansing  wool. 

The  worsted-mill  is  now  producing  16,000  lbs.  of 
worsted  yarn  per  week,  mostly  from  camel's  hair.  He 
has  facilities  for  cleansing  30,000  lbs.  of  wool  a  day. 
The  pay-roll  contains  170  names. 

In  1794  a  map  or  plan  of  the  town  was  made  from 
a  survey  by  Frederick  French.  One  copy  of  the  plan 
is  on  file  in  the  State  Archives  and  another  is  in  pos- 
session of  Mrs.  Thomas  J.  Adams,  of  North  Chelms- 
ford. From  this  map  it  appears  that  there  were  at 
that  time  two  saw-mills  and  one  corn-mill  on  the 
Merrimack  River  at  Pawtucket  Falls ;  one  saw-mill 
and  one  set  of  iron  works  on  Concord  River  near  its 
mouth ;  one  saw-mill  on  the  canal  near  where  it 
emptied  into  the  Concord  River;  one  clothier's  mill; 
one  saw  and  grist-mill  upon  River  Meadow  Brook ; 
these  were  all  within  the  limits  of  the  present  city  of 
Lowell.  A  grist-mill  and  saw-mill  are  shown  upon 
the  Stony  Brook,  at  what  is  now  North  Chelmsford ; 
a  grist-mill  on  Beaver  Brook  at  the  centre  of  the 
town,  and  one  on  Great  Brook  (then  the  Adams  mill). 

The  clothier's  or  fulling-mill  was  erected  in  1790 
by  Moses  Hale,  who  came  from  West  Newbury.  It 
stood  just  below  where  Gorham  Street  crosses  the 
River  Meadow  Brook.  The  saw  and  grist-mill  were 
above  the  street.  In  1801  Mr.  Hale  introduced  a  card- 
ing machine  into  his  mill,  and  carried  on  quite  a  bus- 
iness.    The   iron   works  were  carried  on  by  a  Mr. 


CHELMSFORD. 


267 


Ames  or  Ames  &  Fisher.  They  were  situated  on  the 
Concord  River  at  Massic  Falls,  near  the  foot  of  Ames 
Street.  N.  P.  Ames,  a  son  of  the  proprietor  (born 
September  1,  1803),  afterwards  introduced  many  im- 
provements into  the  works.  Allen  says,  "  hoes  and 
shovels  are  manufactured,  and  various  kinds  of 
curious  work  done,  and  irons  for  machinery  cast." 
Young  Ames  possessed  great  skill  in  the  mechanic 
arts,  combined  with  an  enterprising  spirit  and  inven- 
tive talent  of  a  high  order. 

In  1829  he  removed  to  Chicopee,  and  afterwards 
became  the  founder  of  the  Ames  Manufacturing 
Company  the  first  company  to  engage  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  swords  in  this  country. 

The  success  of  the  cotton  manufactories  at  Wal- 
tham  and  in  Rhode  Island,  which  had  been  started 
as  a  result  of  the  restrictions  imposed  upon  commerce 
by  Great  Britain  in  1812,  stimulated  some  enterpris- 
ing person-*  to  attempt  their  introduction  here.  Capt. 
Phineas  Whiting  and  Col.  Josiah  Fletcher  erected  in 
1813  a  building  sixty  by  fifty,  and  forty  feet  high,  for 
a  cotton  factory. 

In  1818  it  was  purchased  by  Thomas  Hurd,  of 
Charlestown,  and  converted  into  a  woolen  factory. 
One  hundred  and  twenty  yards  of  satinet  per  day  were 
turned  out  from  sixteen  looms  "worked  by  water." ^ 

In  1816  a  saw  and  grist-mill  were  built  by  Luke 
Bowers  &  Son,  at  Pa\\^ucket  Falls,  and  a  grist-mill  by 
Mr.  N.  Tyler,  on  the  "  locks  and  canals." 

In  1816  Mr.  Moses  Hale  added  a  saw-mill  to  his 
other  works,  and  two  years  later  erected  works  for 
the  manufacture  of  gunpowder.  In  1819  Mr.  William 
Tileston,  of  Boston,  and  Oliver  M.  Whipple  were 
taken  into  partnership  in  the  latter  branch  of  the 
business. 

In  the  autumn  of  1821  a  scheme  was  inaugurated 
which  in  its  importance  overtopped  all  previous  en- 
terprises in  Chelmsford,  as  it  resulted  in  creating  the 
wonderful  cotton  industry  of  Lowell. 

A  company  of  gentlemen  consisting  of  Patrick  T. 
Jackson,  Kirk  Boott,  Warren  Dutton,  Paul  Moody, 
John  W.  Boott  and  Nathan  Appleton  visited  the 
Pawtucket  Falls  with  a  view  to  utilizing  the  vast 
power  running  to  waste  there,  and  compelling  it  to 
become  the  servant  of  human  industry. 

The  result  of  their  investigations  was  that  in  the 
February  following  the  Merrimack  Manufacturing 
Company  was  incorporated. 

A  canal  was  built  and  in  September,  1823,  the 
waters  of  the  Merrimack  passed  through  this  canal 
and  turned  the  wheels  of  the  first  of  the  Merrimack 
Company's  mills.  Population  and  capital  now  rap- 
idly increased,  and  in  1826  the  new  town  of  Lowell 
was  incorporated.  From  that  time  the  mother  town 
has  viewed  with  pride  and  wonder  the  achievements 
of  her  precocious  daughter,  and  rejoiced  at  everything 
which  has  contributed  to  her  prosperity. 

1  Allen. 


Although  South  Chelmsford  has  always  been  al- 
most wholly  an  agricultural  community,  some  man- 
ufacturing was  done  there  at  one  time  which  was  very 
important  in  its  relation  to  modern  improvements. 
The  first  Lucifer  matches  manufactured  in  this 
country  were  made  here  by  Ezekiel  Byam,  a  native  of 
the  town,  in  1835.  One  hundred  of  these  matciies 
sold  for  twenty-five  cents.  They  were  ignited  by 
drawing  them  through  a  piece  of  bent  sand-paper. 

Although  clumsy  and  expensive,  as  compared  with 
what  we  now  have,  they  were  the  first  practical  device 
to  do  away  with  the  old  flint  and  tinder.  The  friction 
match  was  invented  by  A.  D.  Phillips,  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  Oct.  24,  1836.  Mr.  Byam  *at  once  recognized 
its  merits,  and  with  characteristic  enterprise  he  pur- 
chased first  the  right  to  manufacture,  and  soon  after 
the  whole  patent,  and  the  following  year  began  the 
manufacture  of  the  friction  match.  Very  soon  the 
Byam  matches,  with  the  following  verse  upon  the 
wrapper,  were  known  the  country  over : 

"For  quickness  and  sureness  the  public  will  find, 
These  matciies  will  leave  all  otliere  behind  ; 
Without  further  remarks  we  invite  you  to  try  'em, 
Kemember  all  good  that  are  signed  by 

E.  Byam." 

The  old  "match-shop,"  as  it  was  called,  stood  on 
the  old  road  leading  from  South  Chelmsford  to  the 
centre  of  the  town,  a  few  rods,  and  on  the  opposite 
side,  from  the  residence  of  Mr.  Eli  P.  Parker.  It  was 
a  small  building  set  into  the  bank,  with  one  story 
above  the  basement.  The  matches  were  put  up  at 
the  Willard  Byam  house,  which  stood  upon  the  site 
of  the  residence  of  the  late  E.  P.  Bean. 

After  manufacturing  here  about  a  year,  Mr.  Byam 
removed  his  business  to  Boston.  He  resumed  manu- 
facturing in  Chelmsford  again  about  1845  and  con- 
tinued three  years.  The  favor  with  which  the 
matches  were  received  by  the  public  was  such  that 
his  facilities  were  now  entirely  inadequate  to  meet 
the  demands  upon  them,  and  the  business  was  re- 
moved permanently  to  Boston. 

The  old  match  shop,  was  mostly  demolished  several 
years  ago;  a  portion  of  it  is  now  used  by  Mr.  N.  B. 
Lapham  for  a  carriage-house. 

The  manufactures  upon  the  Stony  Brook  at  West 
Chelmsford  were  commenced  by  Dea.  John  Farwell, 
who  came  from  Fitchburg  in  April,  1823,  and  erected 
a  factory,  upon  the  site  of  the  present  file  and  knife 
works,  for  the  manufacture  of  scythes.  The  little 
village  which  grew  up  about  these  works  was  known 
for  many  years  as  the  "Scythe  Factory  Village." 

From  1500  to  2000  dozen  of  scythes  were  turned 
out  annually,  from  which  they  realized  from  $15,000  to 
$20,000.  In  the  spring  of  1844,  Dea.  Farwell  sold  out 
to  his  son,  J.  P.  Farwell,  and  others,  who  two  years 
later  sold  the  real  estate  to  Lincoln  Drake,  of  North 
Chelmsford,  and  removed  the  machinery  to  Fitch- 
burg. Drake  sold  the  property  to  F.  T.  Sawyer. 
Christopher  Roby  purchased  a  half- interest  of  Sawyer, 


268 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


and  together  they  at  once  refurnished  the  works  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  scjthes  under  the 
firm-name  of  Roby,  Sawyer  &  Co.  From  2000  to 
2500  dozen  of  scythes  were  annually  produced  by  this 
company. 

The  factory  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  soon  rebuilt. 
In  1853  Mr.  Sawyer  retired,  and  the  business  was 
then  conducted  under  the  name  of  C.  Roby  &  Co. 
The  market  for  these  goods  was  largely  in  the  South- 
ern and  border  States,  and  when  the  war  broke  out, 
in  1861,  this  company  found  their  trade  destroyed, 
and  in  addition  to  that  suffered  the  loss  of  most  of 
their  goods,  which  had  been  shipped  during  the  pre- 
vious winter. 

The  company  now  ceased  to  manufacture  imple- 
ments of  peace,  and  proceeded  to  furnish  implements 
of  war.  They  manufactured  swords  and  sabres  until 
1865,  when  the  company  closed  up  its  affairs.  Mr. 
Roby  continues  an  honored  resident  of  the  village, 
and  by  him  the  data  in  regard  to  the  industries  at 
that  place  were  kindly  furnished. 

The  Hiscox  File  Company  purchased  the  scythe 
works,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  files  and 
machine  knives.  They  discontinued  business  about 
two  years  ago,  since  which  time  the  shops  have  been 
idle. 

In  1830  a  dam  was  built  above  the  scythe  factory 
pond  by  Mr.  Nathan  Oliver,  assisted,  perhaps,  by  his 
brother,  Samuel  Oliver,  of  Lowell.  They  sold  the 
water-power  and  land  to  the  "Chelmsford  Company," 
by  which  a  mill  was  erected  for  the  manufacture  of 
worsted  yarn.  Mr.  William  Calvert  was  the  superin- 
tendent for  several  years.  When  the  financial  depres- 
sion of  1857  came  on  the  mill  was  closed.  After  a 
time  it  was  purchased  by  Isaac  Farrington,  of  Lowell, 
who  resumed  business.  It  was  burned  1862,  but  at 
once  rebuilt.  Business  was  continued  by  several 
parties  until  about  six  years,  when  it  was  again  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  The  power  has  since  remained  unused. 

There  are  five  lime-kilns — two  upon  the  north  slope 
of  Robins  Hill,  and  three  on  the  north  side  of  Beav- 
er Brook — where  for  many  years  lime  was  manufaa- 
tured.  Allen  says,  that  from  them  "are  annuallly 
drawn  about  a  thousand  hogsheads,  which  may  be 
estimated  at  $5  per  hogshead."  The  lime  used  in 
building  the  fir^t  mills  in  Lowell  was  made  here. 
David  Perham,  Sr.,  who  operated  the  largest  kiln, 
continued  the  business  till  1832.  Maine  lime,  which 
was  brought  up  the  Middlesex  Canal,  was  sold  for 
less  than  it  could  be  produced  here.  This  led  to 
their  abandonment. 

The  history  of  manufacturing  at  the  centre  of  the 
town  is  quickly  told.  In  1887  a  brick  two-story  ma- 
chine-shop was  erected  by  Mr.  John  Byfield,  for  the 
manufacture  of  knitting   machinery.     Business  was 


commenced  in  January,  1888,  under  the  name  of  the 
Byfield  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  Byfield  has 
since  withdrawn  from  the  firm,  and  occupies  the 
upper  story  for  the  manufacture  of  knit-goods,  under 
the  name  of  the  Beaver  Manufacturing  Company. 

A  business  closely  related  to  the  farming  interests 
has  been  the  manufacture  of  cider  vinegar.  David 
Perham  began  to  make  a  specialty  of  that  in  connec- 
tion with  his  farming  in  1840.  The  business  con- 
stantly increased.  In  1872  he  sold  to  his  son,  Henry 
S.  Perham,  who  is  of  the  seventh  generation  from 
John  Perham,  who  first  settled  upon  this  farm  in 
1664.  From  500  to  4000  barrels  of  cider  are  made 
annually  from  apples  brought  to  the  mill  from  this 
and  adjoining  towns.  The  late  Israel  Putnam  was 
also  largely  engaged  in  this  business. 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  navigation  of  the  Merri- 
mack River,  and  allow  of  an  easier  transportation  of 
timber  around  the  Pawtucket  Falls  to  Newburyport, 
a  canal  was  built  beginning  above  the  falls  and  emp- 
tying into  the  Concord  near  its  mouth,  the  distance 
being  one  and  a  half  mil^s. 

The  company  was  incorporated  August  8,  1792,  by 
the  name  of  the  "  Proprietors  of  the  Locks  and 
Canals  on  Merrimack  River." 

The  same  year  the  first  bridge  was  built  across  the 
Merrimack  at  Pawtucket  Falls,  then  called  theMerri- 
mac  Middlesex  Bridge. 

A  more  formidable  canal  enterprise  was  in  contem- 
plation by  some  enterprising  spirits  at  this  time,  and 
in  1793  the  Middlesex  Canal  Company  was  incorpo- 
rated. 

Loammi  Baldwin,  of  Woburn,  was  the  superinten- 
dent and  engineer,  and  under  his  direction  the  work 
was  rapidly  pushed  to  completion.  The  canal  was 
opened  for  business  in  1804.  The  business  of  the 
company  continued  to  increase  until  the  building  of 
the  Boston  and  Lowell  Railroad,  in  1835,  when  the  re- 
ceipts soon  fell  below  expenses,  and  in  1853  the  busi- 
ness of  the  company  was  suspended. 

The  facilities  afforded  by  the  Middlesex  Canal 
greatly  stimulated  the  growth  of  Middlesex  Village. 
The  glass  manufactory  was  built  in  1802,  upon  the 
bank  of  the  canal,  near  the  end  of  what  is  now  West 
Pine  Street.  The  annual  production  of  window 
glass  exceeded  forty  thousand  dollars  in  value.  The 
enterprising  firm  of  Bent  &  Bush  first  began  the  man- 
ufacture of  hats  at  this  place.  There  were  also  two 
stores  and  a  public-house.  The  latter  was  kept  by 
Mr.  Timothy  Clark,  who,  doubtless,  maintained  the 
reputation  which  it  had  gained  under  the  former 
landlord,  Col.  Jonas  Clark,  as  "  the  general  resort  for 
all  fashionable  people  in  these  parts." 

A  religious  society  was  organized  in  1824  and  a 
meeting-house  built. 


CHELMSFORD. 


269 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CHELMSFORD— {Continued). 
MISCELLANEOUS. 

Ageiculture. — Although  more  sp.ice  in  this  arti- 
cle has  been  given  to  manufactures  than  agriculture, 
the  latter  has  been  the  occupation  of  the  majority  of 
the  people,  and  an  active  interest  has  been  taken  in 
movements  for  the  advancement  of  agricultural  in- 
terests. 

A  society  was  formed  at  Chelmsford,  January  6, 
1794,  for  the  "  promotion  of  useful  improvements  in 
agriculture."  It  was  composed  of  gentlemen  living 
in  the  westerly  part  of  Middlesex  County.  It  was  in- 
corporated by  act  of  the  Legislature  on  February  28, 
1808,  under  the  name  of  "The  Western  Society  of 
Middlesex  Husbandmen." 

Its  annual  meetings  were  held  alternately  at  West- 
ford,  Littleton  and  Groton.  Hon.  Ebenezer  Bridge, 
of  Chelmsford,  was  the  first  president  chosen  after  the 
incorporation  of  the  society.  Mr.  Bridge  was  a  son 
of  the  then  late  parson.  He  commanded  a  regiment 
at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Senate  from  1781  to  1800,  and  was 
perhaps,  the  most  influential  citizen  of  the  town  at 
that  time.  He  died  at  Hardwick,  N.  Y.,  February  9, 
1814,  aged  .seventy. 

This  agricultural  society  was  afterwards  merged  in 
the  Middlesex  Society,  which  held  annual  exhibitions 
at  Concord  until  recently. 

Death  of  General  Washington. — The  follow- 
ing action,  in  January,  1800,  well  illustrates  the  pat- 
riotic feelings  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  :  "  took  into 
consideration  the  death  of  the  worthy  General  Wash- 
ington, to  be  observed  by  an  oration  22d  Feb.  by  Mat- 
thias Spaulding." 

The  orator  selected  for  this  important  occasion  was 
a  son  of  Col.  Simeon  Spaulding.  After  completing 
his  studies  he  taught  school  for  several  years  and  then 
entered  the  medical  profession.  In  1806  he  removed 
to  Amherst,  N.  H.,  where  he  lived  to  a  great  age. 
The  following  brief  notice  of  his  death,  in  1865, 
appeared  in  the  Boston  Traveller  : 

" The  venerable  and  eminent  physician,  Dr.  Mat- 
thias Spalding,  died  on  Monday  last,  aged  ninety-six 
years.  He  was  born  at  Chelmsford,  Mass.,  June  28, 
1769,  and  graduated  at  Cambridge  University  in 
1798." 

Death  of  Rev.  Thomas  Clark.— The  people 
were  called  to  mourn  the  death  of  their  pastor,  Rev. 
Thomas  Clark,  which  occurred  December  7,  1704,  in 
the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age  and  the  twenty-seventh 
of  his  ministry.  We  have  but  little  material  from 
which  to  estimate  the  character  of  the  man.  No 
church  records  relating  to  the  period  of  his  ministry 
are  preserved.  The  few  modest  requests  which  he 
made  of  the  town  were  readily  granted.    The  calm, 


judicial  spirit  with  which  he  dealt  with  the  case  of 
witchcraft  which  occurred  during  his  pastorate  well 
illustrates  his  character.  His  descendants  were  peo- 
ple of  intelligence  and  force  of  character.  Governor 
John  Hancock,  whose  name  is  appended  to  the  im- 
mortal Declaration  of  Independence,  in  the  well- 
known  bold  and  striking  characters,  was  his  grandson. 

Rev.  Samson  Stoddard,  of  Boston,  the  third  mint 
ister  of  Chelmsford,  was  ordained  November  6,  1706. 
An  ordination  was  a  great  social  event,  and  elaborate 
preparations  were  made  to  provide  for  the  guests  who 
assembled. 

In  1713  Mr.  Stoddard  preached  the  election  sermon. 
Sewal  pronounced  it  "an  excellent  discourse." 

The  old  meeting-house,  which  had  served  the  peo- 
ple from  the  first  settlement  of  the  town,  was  now  go- 
ing to  decay.  It  had  been  repaired  in  1702  "both 
w'out  Side  to  keep  out  rain  and  snow,  &  also  within- 
side  such  Inlargement  as  may  be  needful  &  in  pertic- 
ular  A  long  table  from  one  allee  to  another."  In  1705 
the  people  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  petitioned 
that  the  proposed  new  meeting-house  "  be  set  in  the 
senter  of  the  toune."  Th^s,  if  acceded  to,  would 
have  taken  it  to  Chestnut  Hill,  and  might  have  pre- 
vented the  formation  of  the  west  part  into  a  new  town, 
which  occurred  a  few  years  later. 

Death  of  Rev.  Samson  Stoddard,  and  West- 
ford  set  off.— The  struggle  of  the  people  in  the 
west  part  of  the  town  for  the  formation  of  a  separate 
precinct  was  begun  in  1713,  and  continued  from  time 
to  time  until  the  object  was  accomplished  in  1724. 
The  separation  was  made  complete  by  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  town  of  Westford,  September  23,  1729. 

Rev.  Samson  Stoddard  was  a  person  of  delicate 
mental  and  physical  organization.  His  arduous  pa- 
rochial duties  and  financial  difficulties,  which  he  was 
unable  to  meet,  produced  a  severe  strain  upon  his 
powers. 

During  the  last  years  of  his  ministry  he  manifested 
symptoms  of  a  disordered  mind.  His  death,  by  sui- 
cide, occurred  August  23.  1740,  in  the  thirty-fourth 
year  of  his  ministry.  His  body  was  found  in  the  par- 
sonage well.  The  railroad  passenger  depot  now 
stands  over  the  well. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Bridge. — On  December  30th,  of 
the  same  year,  a  unanimous  call  was  extended  to 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Bridge,  to  become  their  pastor.  He 
was  ordained  to  the  sacred  office  May  20,  1741. 

Mr.  Bridge  was  a  native  of  Boston.  After  complet- 
ing his  studies  at  Harvard  University  he  engaged  for 
a  time  in  teaching. 

His  theological  studies  were  pursued  under  the  di- 
rection of  Rev.  Wm.  Welstead,  pastor  of  the  North 
Church,  Boston.  In  October,  1741,  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  Stoddard,  the  third  daughter  of  Rev.  Samson 
Stoddard. 

Mr.  Bridge  was  a  man  of  strong  character,  and  he 
exerted  a  wide  influence  in  the  trying  times  through 
which  the  country  passed  during  his   ministry.     In 


270 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


person  "his  stature  was  large  and  commanding,  his 
manners  grave  and  digaified.  He  possessed  great 
social  powers,  and  was  a  communicative  friend  and 
pleasant  companion."  Although  his  style  was  some- 
what negligent  and  diffuse,  "he  was  an  acceptable, 
animated  and  searching  preacher.  His  creed  partook 
of  the  orthodox  of  the  day,"  but  "  he  was  a  strenuous 
advocate  for  liberty  of  conscience  and  the  rights  of 
private  judgment."  Mr.  Bridge's  influence  was  not 
confined  to  hi*  immediate  field  of  labor.  He  main- 
tained a  wide  circle  of  acquaintances.  He  enter- 
tained liberally,  and  among  the  guests  at  the  parson- 
age were  often  persons  widely  honored.  He  has  left 
a  voluminous  diary,^  which  contains  a  fund  of  infor- 
mation, and  gives  us  an  insight  into  the  daily  life  of 
a  country  parson  in  the  colonial  days. 

Up  to  the  time  of  Bridge's  pastorate  there  had  been 
but  one  religious  society  in  town,  except  during  the 
brief  time  between  the  formation  of  the  West  Pre- 
cinct and  i*s  incorporation  as  a  town.  But  the 
preaching  of  the  eminent  Whitefield,  Avhich  so 
stirred  the  people  and  created  such  a  di-turbance 
among  the  churches,  produced  a  di^aff'ection,  lespec- 
ially  among  the  people  of  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
which  the  parson  was  powerless  to  prevent.  The 
preaching  of  one  Hide,  a  tailor,  in  the  south  part  of 
the  town,  drew  away  some  of  the  people,  by  which 
the  good  parson  was  much  exercised. 

Whitefield  himself  once  preached  in  this  town,  at 
the  house  of  a  Mr.  Birge,  where  Israel  L.  Putnam 
now  lives,  on  South  Street,  and  it  is  related  that  by  a 
singular  incident,  Parson  Bridge  was  himself  an  un- 
willing listener  to  the  discourse.'^  "  Before  the  hour  of 
the  meeting  arrived  Parson  Bridge  called  at  the  house 
in  order  to  dissuade  the  owner,  if  possible,  from  al- 
lowing it  to  be  held.  While  he  argued  long  with 
Mr.  Birge,  the  crowd  thronged  the  house  to  such  a 
degree  that  the  pastor  was  unable  to  recover  his  hat, 
which  had  been  left  in  another  room,  and  he  Avas, 
therefore,  unwillingly  constrained  to  hear  die  sermon 
out  with  the  rest." 

In  1753  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Court  for 
-  the  formation  of  a  district  in  Carlisle.  In  1758  a 
rude  church  was  erected  there.  In  1780  Carlisle  was 
formed  into  a  separate  precinct,  and  in  1805  incorpo- 
rated as  a  town.  By  this  act  Chelmsford  lost  about 
seventeen  families  and  a  considerable  amount  of  ter- 
ritory. In  1754,  300  acres  of  land  on  the  northerly 
side  of  the  town  were  set  off  to  Dunstable.  This 
makes  a  point  of  land  belonging  to  Tyugsboro'  ex- 
tending into  Chelmsford. 

New  Meeting-House. — In  1709  the  town  voted 
to  build  a  new  meeting-house  upon  the  site  of  the  old 
one,  "and  a  Terit  to  hang  the  bell  in." 

Social  distinctions  were  much  more  rigiilly  ob- 
served than    in  these  more  democratic   times.     The 


1  Now  in  the  possession  of  a  descendant,  B.  M.  Fiske,  of  Boston. 

2  B.  P.  Hunt. 


people  were  seated  in  church  in  accordance  with  the 
rank  which  they  occupied.  These  seats  were  assigned 
by  a  committee  chosen  from  time  to  time  by  the 
town,  consisting  of  the  most  dignified  characters. 

Slavery. — In  Parson  Bridge's  time  some  negroes 
were  held  as  slaves  in  this  town,  as  appears  from  sev- 
eral entries  in  this  diary.  March  3,  1772,  he  records: 
"  married  Prince,  a  negro  man  belonging  to  William 
Kittridge,  of  Tewksbury,  and  Zulee,  a  mulatto  girl 
belonging  to  Dr.  Nehemiah  Abbott,  of  this  town  ;  was 
offered  one  dollar  as  a  fee,  but  took  none."  August 
7,  1761,  "  attended  the  funeral  of  Titus,  an  aged  negro 
of  widow  Rebecca  Parker." 

By  the  declara'ion  of  rights  contained  in  the  new 
Constitution  of  1780,  Massachusetts  has  the  honor  of 
having  been  the  first  of  the  American  States  to  abol- 
ish slavery  within  her  limits. 

Several  entries  in  Bridge's  diary  similar  to  the  fol- 
lowing show  that  the  second  meeting-hou*e,  which 
had  stood  eighty  years,  was  now  going  to  decay  : 
"  May  15, 1791,  Preached  all  day,  but  omitted  reading 
by  reason  of  the  pulpit  being  so  wet  after  the  rain." 
The  good  pastor  who  had  for  more  than  fifty  years 
ministered  from  this  pulpit  was  nearing  the  close  of 
his  mortal  existence.  His  death  occurred  October  4, 
1792,  the  same  year  in  which  a  new  house  of  worship 
was  erected. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Bridge  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  was  appointed  by  the  town,  and  seven  of 
the  ministers  of  adjoining  towns  were  invited  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  services. 

Rev.  Hezekiah  Packard  accepted  a  call  by  the 
church  and  town  and  was  ordained  October  16,  1793. 

By  h's  agency  in  establi^hing  the  Chelmsford 
Social  Library  in  1794,  Mr.  Packard  has  left  an  en- 
during monument  to  his  memory.  This  library  was 
incorporated  in  January,  1812,  under  the  name  of 
"  Proprietors  of  the  Social  Library  in  the  town  of 
Chelmsford."  Allen  estimated  its  value  at  about  $1000. 
Until  recently  the  books  have  been  dispensed  from 
the  house  of  the  librarian.  Because  of  the  want  of  a 
suitable  public  place  for  the  library  its  growth  was 
slow.  Since  it  has  been  placed  in  the  town-house 
public  interest  in  it  has  revived  and  the  yearly  circu- 
lation of  the  books  has  much  increased. 

Mr.  Packard  budt  and  occupied  the  house  now 
owned  by  David  A.  Bussell.  His  son,  the  late  Pro- 
fessor Alpheus  S.  Packard,  of  Bowdoin  College,  was 
born  here. 

The  resignation  of  Mr.  Packard  concluded  his  con- 
nection with  the  church  July  5,  1802. 

Rev.  Wilkes  Allen  was  ordained  as  pastor  No- 
vember 16,  1803.  Mr.  Allen  was  a  S)n  of  Elnaihan 
and  Lydia  (Pratt)  Allen,  of  Shrewsbury,  Massachu- 
setts. He  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  ISOl. 
In  November  13,  1805,  he  married  Mary  Morrill, 
daughter  of  Deacon  James  Morrill,  of  Boston.  Their 
children  were  James  Morrill,  born  October  5,  1806  ; 
'  Charles  Hastings,  born  March  11,  1809;  Wilkes,  born 


CHELMSFORD. 


271 


December  30,  1810;  John  Clark,  born  November  12, 
1815  (?) ;  and  Nathaniel  Glover,  born  January  22, 
1816. 

Mr.  Allen  was  the  author  of  a  "History  of  Chelms- 
ford," which  was  published  in  1820 — a  work  which 
forever  identifies  his  name  with  the  town. 

Revolutionary  Monument. — The  monument  in 
honor  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  who  fell  in  the  War 
of  the  Revolution  was  erected  in  1859.  Charles  H. 
Dalton  was  the  prime  mover  in  this  patriotic  enter- 
prise. The  monument,  composed  of  Chelmsford  gran- 
ite, was  dedicated  September  22, 1859.  The  principal 
address  was  delivered  by  Willard  Parker,  M.D.,  of  New 
York,  president  of  the  Monument  Asssociation  ;  H. 
W.  B.  Wightman,  was  president  of  the  day;  Rev. 
John  Parkhurst,  chaplain ;  Dr.  J.  C.  Bartlett,  di- 
rector of  the  choir,  and  Otis  Adams,  chief  marshal. 

Lawyers. — Previous  to  the  growth  of  so  many 
manufacturing  towns  in  the  State,  Chelmsford  occu- 
pied a  position  of  much  greater  relative  importance 
than  it  does  to-day.  This  is  shown  by  the  character 
of  the  men  who  were  attracted  to  it  as  a  place  for 
the  practice  of  the  professions. 

In  January,  1772,  Stephen  Scales,  A.M.,  settled  in 
town  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  the  law. 

What  promised  to  be  a  brilliant  career  was  sud- 
denly cut  short  by  death,  November  5th  of  the  same 
year.     Mr.  Bridge  records  : 

"  This  morning  died  very  suddenly  Stephen  Scales,  at  the  honse  of 
Sampson  Stoddard  ;  he  had  been  confined  with  the  measles,  was  able  to 
walk  about  the  house,  but  took  cold,  seized  with  an  apoplectic  attack, 
fell  out  of  li'B  cliair  and  died  in  a  few  minutes.  He  was  Tutor  at  Har- 
vard Coll.,  since  studied  law  &  was  a  practitioner  in  the  business,  a  man 
of  strong  power  of  mind,  a  great  scholar,  &  very  considerable  lawyer 
for  his  age  &  the  time  he  bath  practiced;  he  bid  fair  to  be  a  very  useful 
and  serviceable  as  well  as  honorable  man  in  life,  but  at  once  is  at  an 
end  as  to  tliis  life  &  world,  an  affecting  stroke  in  Providence  &,  may  the 
Lord  sanctify  it." 

The  following  high  tribute  to  his  character  and 
talents  appeared  in  The  Massachusetts  Gazette  and  the 
Boston  Weekly  News- Letter ,  Thursday,  November  12, 
1772: 

"  We  hear  from  Chelmsford,  that  on  Tliursday  Morning  last  Stephen 
Scales,  Esq.,  several  years  a  Tutor  at  Harvard  College,  but  lately  in 
the  Study  of  tlie  Law,  was  seized  with  a  Numbness  in  one  of  liis 
Hands,  wliich  increased  so  fast  that  he  died  witliin  ten  Minutes.  He 
was  a  gentleman  of  superior  Genius,  improved  by  a  thorough  Acquaint- 
ance with  the  various  Braucl»s  of  Science, — faithful  in  the  Dischaige 
of  his  Duty  in  the  College, — of  strict  Integrity,  and  exemplary  Virtue — 
and  of  80  great  proficiency  in  the  study  of  the  Law  that  he  was  truly  an 
Honor  to  the  Profession  into  which  he  had  entered." 

His  tombstone,  upon  which  is  a  lengthy  inscription 
in  Latin,  stands  at  the  right,  and  very  close  to,  the 
central  path  in  the  old  cemetery. 

Within  two  weeks  from  the  death  of  Mr.  Scales, 
Mr.  Jonathan  WiU.lams  Austin,  a  young  man  of  great 
promise,  just  admitted  to  the  bar,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  town  to  follow  the  profession  of  the  law. 
Bridge's  diary  contains  the  following  reference  to 
him  : 

"  Nov.  18,  1772.  Mr.  Joua.  William  Austin,  who  came  into  town  last 
night,  dined  with  me  and  spent  the  P.M.;  he  comes  to  settle  with  us  as 


a  Lawyer.     He  brought  letters  to  me  reccommendatory  from  Rev.  Dr. 
C'hauncy  &  Cooper." 

He  was  born  in  Boston,  April  18,  1751,  and  grad- 
uated from  Harvard  College  in  1769.  He  studied 
law  in  the  office  of  John  Adams,  and,  doubtless,  had 
imbibed  something  of  the  patriotic  fervor  of  that  il- 
lu.strious  statesman,  as  he  immediately  became  promi- 
nent in  the  agitation  then  going  on  with  the  mother 
country.  He  represented  the  town,  with  Samuel 
Perham,  as  delegate  to  the  Middlesex  Convention, 
which  met  at  Concord,  August  16,  1774,  and,  though 
then  but  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  was  selected 
by  the  convention  for  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
to  draw  up  the  resulutions  expressing  the  sentiments 
of  the  people  upon  the  grave  questions  which  con- 
fronted them.  The  resolutions,  which  were  adopted 
by  a  vote  of  seventy-four  to  four,  conclude  with  the 
following  ringing  sentences : 

"  Our  fathers  left  a  fair  inheritance  to  us,  purchased  by  a  waste  of 
blood  and  treasure.  This  we  are  resolved  to  transmit  equally  fair  to  our 
children  after  us.  No  danger  shall  affright,  no  difficulties  intimidate 
us  ;  and  if,  in  support  of  our  rights,  we  are  called  to  encounter  even 
death,  we  are  yet  undaunted,  sensible  that  he  can  never  die  too  soon 
who  lays  down  his  life  in  support  of  the  laws  and  liberties  of  his 
country." 

He  !-howed  himself  to  be  a  man  of  action  as  well 
as  of  words,  for  he  gave  his  life  in  support  of  those 
principles  so  dear  to  him.  He  entered  the  service 
upon  the  opening  of  hostilities ;  was  a  major  in 
1775,  commandant  at  Castle  William  in  1776,  and 
died  in  the  army  to  the  southward  in  1778  or  1779. 

John  Wythe,  A.M. — A  graduate  of  Harvard  in  1760. 
Settled  in  Chelmsford  1778.  Afterwards  removed  to 
Lexington,  and  from  there  to  Cambridge,  where  he 
died.i 

Samuel  Dexter,  LL.D.,  the  statesman,  who  occu- 
pied, besides  other  high  positions,  that  of  United 
States  Senator  from  Massachusetts,  practiced  law  for 
a  time  in  this  town,  coming  here  in  1786.  He  re- 
moved to  Billerica  and  after  to  Charlestown.  He 
died  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  1816. 

In  1800  Asahel  Stearns,  A.M.,  opened  an  office  at 
Pawtucket  Falls.  In  1814  he  represented  the  district 
in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  He  removed 
to  Charleston,  n  in  1815,  and  three  years  later  accepted 
the  position  of  College  Professor  of  Law  in  Harvard 
University. 

Joel  Adams,  A.M.,  was  a  son  of  Timothy  Adams, 
of  this  town.  His  birth-place  was  what  is  now  the 
Shehan  place,  in  District  5.  He  graduated  from 
Harvard  College  in  1805,  and  began  the  practice  of 
law  in  1808.  His  residence  was  that  now  occupied 
by  his  grandson,  C.  E.  A.  Bartlett.  His  office  stood 
between  his  house  and  what  is  now  Jonathan  Lar- 
com's.  He  was  known  as  a  sagacious  counselor  and 
shrewd  man  of  business.  He  removed  to  Lowell, 
and  was  president  of  the  Prescott  Bank,  and  was 
connected  with  other  financial    institutions.     Later 

1  Allen. 


272 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


in  life  he  relinquished  the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  again  took  up  his  residence  at  his  old  home  in 
Chelmsford. 

In  1813  Nathaniel  Wright,  A.M..  entered  the  law- 
office  of  Asahel  Stearns,  at  Pawtucket  Falls.  When 
the  latter  withdrew  to  a  wider  field,  Wright  suc- 
ceeded him  in  business.  He  at  once  became  identified 
with  the  rising  fortunes  of  Lowell ;  was  the  chairman 
of  its  first  Board  of  Selectmen,  and  later  its  mayor. 
He  died  November  5,  1858,  aged  seventy-three  years. 
Physicians. — Of  the  physicians  who  practiced  in 
the  town  in  the  early  days  little  is  known.  The  list 
given  by  Allen  begins  with, — 

Dr.  Anthony  Emery,  A.M.,  who  graduated  from 
Harvard  in  1736,  and  commenced  practice  in  1740. 

In  1748  Samuel  King,  M.D.,  came  from  Littleton. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  Chesterfield,  N.  H. 

Dr.  Jonas  Marshall  commenced  practice  in  1765. 
His  residence  was  that  now  owned  by  Mr.  C.  W. 
Byam,  on  the  south  slope  of  Robins  Hill.  A 
magnificent  elm,  standing  beside  Mr.  Byam's  house, 
was  brought  by  the  doctor  on  horseback  from  his 
former  home  in  Fitchburg.  He  was  long  remem- 
bered as  an  active  man  and  successful  practitioner. 
In  1776  his  wife  and  two  daughters  died  of  small- 
pox, which  was  communicated  by  a  soldier  return- 
ing from  the  war,  to  Avhom  they  had  afforded  hos- 
pitality. Their  bodies  were  the  first  interred  in  the 
South  Chelmsford  Cemetery.  He  removed  to  Fitch- 
burg in  1783. 

Dr.  Nehemiah  Abbott  came  from  Andover  in  1772. 
He  built  and  occupied  the  house  which  has  long 
been  known  as  the  "ark,"  at  the  corner  of  the 
South  Chelmsford  road.     He  died  July  13,  1785. 

Dr.  Walter  Hastings  graduated  from  Harvard, 
1771 ;  commenced  practice  in  1776 ;  died  December 
2,  1782,  aged  thirty. 

Dr.  Timothy  Harrington,  a  graduate  of  Harvard, 
1776 ;  came  here  in  1782.  His  residence  was  what 
is  now  owned  by  Gilbert  Wright.  He  died  Febru- 
ary 28,  1802,  aged  forty-eight. 

Dr.  John  Betty  was  a  native  of  the  town.  He 
was  a  toldier  in  the  Revolution.  He  began  prac- 
tice in  1792.  His  residence  was  that  now  owned 
and  occupied  by  B.  O.  Robbins,  near  the  South 
Chelmsford  Cemetery.  He  is  still  remembered  by 
the  older  citizens. 

Dr.  Ichabod  Gibson,  from  Lunenburg,  commenced 
practice  in  1792.  He  built  and  occupied  what  is 
now  the  residence  of  C.  E.  A.  Bartlett.  He  died 
May  10,  1810. 

Dr.  Matthias  Spalding,  a  son  of  Colonel  Simeon 
Spalding,  commenced  practice  in  1802.  He  removed 
to  Amherst,  N.  II.,  in  1805. 

Dr.  Olicer  Scripture,  from  New  Ipswich,  N.  H., 
commenced  practice  in  1807.  His  residence  was 
upon  the  site  of  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
W.  H.  Hoyt,  on  South  Street.  He  removed  to  Hollis, 
N.  H.,  in  1818. 


Dr.  Rufus  Wyman  was  born  in  Woburn,  Mass., 
July  16,  1778.  He  graduated  from  Harvard  College 
in  1799.  He  studied  medicine  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  John  Jeffries.  The  following  degrees  were 
conferred  upon  him  by  Harvard  :  A.M.  and  M.D.  in 
1804,  M.M.S.  in  1811,  and  later  A.A.S.  He  settled 
in  Chelmsford  in  1805.  His  residence  was  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Timothy  Adams,  upon  the  Billerica 
road. 

Dr.  Wyman  gained  so  high  a  reputation  in  the  pro- 
fession that  when  the  McLean  Asylum  for  the  Insane 
was  started  in  Charlestown  (now  Somerville)  he  was 
chosen,  March  28,  1818,  as  its  first  superintendent 
and  physician.  The  appointment  proved  a  fortunate 
one.  Notwithstanding  the  popular  prejudice  then 
existing  against  hospitals  of  that  kind,  the  number  of 
patients  presented  for  treatment  constantly  increased, 
as  well  as  generous  contributions  for  the  support  of 
the  institution.  He  resigned  his  position  in  1835. 
His  death  occurred  in  Roxbury  June  22,  1842. 

When  Dr.  Wyman  removed  from  Chelmsford,  to 
accept  the  appointment  of  superintendent  of  the  Mc- 
Lean Asylum  at  Charlestown,  a  public  meeting  of  the 
citizens  was  called  to  expres-s  their  high  esteem  and 
respect  for  Dr.  Wyman  and  to  request  him  to  appoint 
a  successor. 

He  complied  with  their  wish  and  introduced  Dr. 
John  C.  Dallon  to  the  people  of  Chelmsford.  In  mak- 
ing this  choice  he  displayed  his  characteristic  saga- 
city, and  laid  the  people  under  further  obligations  of 
gratitude  to  him. 

Dr.  Dalton  was  born  in  Boston  May  31,  1795.  He 
entered  Harvard  College  in  1810,  where  he  acquired 
scholarly  tastes  which  he  retained  through  life.  He 
received  his  degree  of  M.D.  from  Cambridge  in  1818. 
Dr.  Dalton  lived  while  in  Chelmsford  at  what  is 
now  called  the  "  syndicate  farm."  He  was  a  gentle- 
man of  accomplished  manners  and  an  ardent  lover  of 
his  profession. 

After  thirteen  years' practice  he  removed  to  Lowell, 
in  1831.  During  his  residence  of  nearly  thirty  years 
in  that  city  he  occupied  an  honored  position  both  as 
a  physician  and  citizen.  He  died  in  Boston,  Jan. 
9,  1864. 

Dr.  Faul  Kittredge,  one  of  t.hia  famous  family  of 
doctors,  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  Dr.  Dalton, 
coming  to  Chelmsford  from  Littleton  in  1831.  He 
was  a  son  of  Dr.  Benj.  Kittredge,  of  Tewksbury, 
where  he  was  born  Aug.  29,  1784.  He  studied  with 
his  uncle,  Dr.  Jesseniah  Kittredge,  of  Walpole,  N.  H. 
He  took  his  degree,  was  admitted  to  the  Massachu- 
setts Medical  Society,  and  then  began  the  practice  of 
his  profe.«sion  at  Littleton,  Mass.,  in  1810,  where  he 
remained  until  he  came  to  Chelmsford  in  1831.  Dr. 
Kittredge  built  and  occupied  the  residence  of  the  late 
Adams  Emerson,  Esq.,  had  an  extensive  practice,  and 
was  often  called,  especially  in  cases  of  surgery,  far 
beyond  the  usual  circle  of  his  practice.  He  had  a  fam- 
ily of  fourteen  children,  four  of  whom  were  physicians. 


.    CHELMSFORD. 


273 


One  of  these,  Francis  M.  Kittredge,  familiarly  known 
as  Doctor  Frank,  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege. He  was  associated  with  his  father  in  business 
for  several  years,  and  upon  the  death  of  the  latter, 
Aug.  10,  1845,  succeeded  to  the  practice.  In  1848  he 
dispos>ed  of  his  interests  in  Chelmsford  to  Levi  How- 
ard, M.D.,  and  removed  to  Lowell.  He  died  in  Cali- 
fornia Feb.  13,  1878. 

Dr.  Nathan  B.  Edwards  was  born  in  Westford, 
Mass.  He  was  educated  at  Groton  Academy  and 
Dartmouth  College,  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Eli- 
sha  Huntington,  of  Lowell,  and  received  the  degree 
of  M.D.  from  the  Berkshire  Medical  Institute  in 
1844.  The  year  following  he  settled  in  practice  at 
North  Chelmsford. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  write  unreservedly  of 
persons  now  living,  but  after  a  residence  of  forty-five 
years  among  us  a  person's  reputation  may  be  supposed 
to  rest  upon  a  somewhat  substantial  foundation. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  no  person  in  Chelms- 
ford was  ever  held  in  more  universal  respect  than 
Dr.  Edwards.  Notwithstanding  the  somewhat  exact- 
ing duties  of  his  profession,  movements  for  the  edu- 
cational, moral,  religious,  political  or  material  interests 
of  the  people  have  ever  found  in  him  an  earnest 
supporter. 

He  has  filled,  at  one  time  or  another  almost,  every 
position  to  which  his  townsmen  could  elect  him. 

He  has  kindly  furnished  that  portion  of  this  art- 
icle which  relates  to  the  manufactures  at  North  Chelms- 
ford. 

His  appearance  indicates  a  vigor  which  promises 
to  continue  his  usefulness  for  many  years  to  come. 

Dr.  John  C.  Bartletiwas  born  in  Charlestown,  Mass., 
Oct.  5,  1808,  and  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College, 
Maine,  in  1828.  Having  decided  upon  the  medical 
profession,  he  studied  with  Dr.  Thompson,  of  Charles- 
town,  and  attended  lectures  at  Harvard  University, 
graduating  in  1831.  He  soon  after  settled  in  Chelms- 
ford, where  he  continued  in  practice  nearly  forty-six 
years.  Dr.  Bartlett  entered  upon  his  work  with  the 
very  best  preparatory  training.  His  standard  of  pro- 
fessional honor  was  high,  and  he  never  neglected  a 
call  of  duty.  Quackery  or  imposition  of  any  kind 
gained  his  decided  opposition. 

Although  of  a  somewhat  aristocratic  bearing,  he 
was  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors,  and  a  man  uni- 
versally respected  for  the  uprightness  of  his  life.  He 
possessed  fine  musical  tastes,  and  was  for  many  years 
chorister  of  the  Unitarian  Society. 

He  was  active  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  in- 
terested in  education. 

He  held  the  position  of  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  Westford  Academy  for  many  years.  He 
died  Jan.  13,  1877,  aged  seventy-two.  The  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  medical  associates  was  ex- 
pressed in  a  series  of  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Med- 
ical Society. 

Dr.  Levi  Howard  was  born  in  Bolton,  Massa- 
18-ii 


chusetts.  May  26,  1820  ;  was  educated  at  Worcester 
and  Bridgeton  Academy,  Maine ;  studied  with  Dr. 
Lewis  W.  Houghton,  of  AVaterford,  Me.,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Dartmouth  Medical  College  in 
1846.  He  began  practice  at  Stillriver,  Mass.,  where 
he  remained  two  years  before  coming  to  Chelmsford. 
Dr.  Howard  proved  to  be  a  worthy  successor  to  the 
long  line  of  successful  Chelmsford  physicians.  He 
was  thoroughly  devoted  to  his  profession,  and  possess- 
ed of  keen  discernment  and  powers  of  observation 
which  did  not  allow  the  slightest  symptom  to  escape 
unnoticed  ;  these  qualities,  combined  with  sound  judg- 
ment, self-reliance  and  devotion  to  his  patients,  gain- 
ed him  the  full  confidence  of  the  community,  and  he 
was  rewarded  by  a  wide  and  lucrative  practice,  which 
included  not  only  Chelmsford,  but  all  the  adjacent 
towns.  This  he  retained  to  the  close  of  his  life.  In 
physique  he  was  large  and  powerful,  with  that  per- 
sonal magnetism  born  of  robust  health,  quick  sensi- 
bilities and  ready  tact.  His  mind  was  active  and 
well  developed  in  other  fields  beside  the  professional 
one,  and  he  was  a  lover  of  literature  and  music ;  in 
the  latter  he  excelled,  and  his  skill  with  the  violin 
was  of  a  high  order. 

He  practiced  his  profession  to  within  a  week  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  January  23, 1885,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  practice  by  his  son,  Amasa  Howard,  M.D., 
who  is  improving  his  capacity  to  rank  with  his  hon- 
ored predecessors. 

Church  History. — For  upwards  of  a  century  the 
history  of  the  church  is  so  interwoven  with  that  ot 
the  town  that  the  history  of  one  includes  that  of  the 
other. 

The  religious  agitation  which  began  with  Whitefield 
finally  led  to  the  withdrawal  of  members  from  the 
oiginal  church  and  the  establishment  of  others  hold- 
ing a  different  creed. 

A  Baptist  Church  was  formed  at  South  Chelmsford 
in  1771.  The  following  is  the  record  of  their  first 
meeting:  "  On  Tuesday  y'^  22°''  October  1771,  a  num- 
ber of  men  and  women,  baptised  on  profession  of  faith 
by  immersion,  assembled  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Lock, 
in  Chelmsford,  in  y^  county  of  Middlesex,  in  y*  prov- 
ince of  y^  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  New  England,  being 
assisted  by  Mr.  Bartlett  of  New  Town,  who  was  chosen 
therefor  by  the  church  of  Leicester,  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  Elder  Thomas  Green."  ^ 

A  meeting-house  was  erected  in  1772.  It  stood 
near  the  South  Chelmsford  Cemetery.  (This  burying- 
ground  was  established  in  1774,  upon  land  given  by 
Dr.  John  Bettie.)  Their  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Elisha 
Rich.  The  present  house  of  worship,  which  is  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  site  of  the  original  one, 
was  built  in  1836.  The  membership  of  the  church 
when  they  celebrated  their  centennial  in  1871  was 
134. 

Rev.  John  Parkhurst,  a  native  of  the  town,  and  a 

1  Bev.  Geo.  U.  Allen,  Centennial  Address. 


274 


HISTORY  OF  MIDDLESEX  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS. 


graduate  of  Harvard  University  in  1811,  was  the  pas- 
tor from  November  13,  1822,  to  April,  1845. 

The  Central  Baptist  Church,  composed  of  a  mem- 
bership largely  drawn  from  the  mother  church,  was 
organized  February  14,  1847,  with  Rev.  John  Park- 
hurst  as  pastor.  This  society  worshiped  in  the  Acad- 
emy building  until  the  erection  of  their  present  church 
edifice,  in  1869,  upon  the  historic  site  of  Col.  Samson 
Stoddard's  house. 

The  venerable  Father  Park  hurst  closed  his  labors 
with  the  church  in  1868,  after  a  service  in  the  minis- 
try in  this  town  of  nearly  half  a  century. 

As  a  result  of  the  Unitarian  movement,  which  be- 
gan in  1824,  the  old  First  Church  adopted  that  faith  ; 
they  continued,  however,  under  the  name  of  the  First 
Congregational  Society.  The  same  agitation  caused 
a  division  in  the  church  at  Middlesex,  just  established 
in  1824.  The  Unitarian  portion  retained  the  meeting- 
house, and  called  to  their  service  Eev.  Hezekiah 
Packard,  D.D.,  who  was  ordained  in  1830. 

The  Trinitarian  members  with  their  pastor,  Rev, 
John  A.  Albro,  worshiped  for  a  time  in  a  hall  in  the 
village.  In  1836  they  removed  to  North  Chelmsford, 
and  a  meeting-house  was  erected.  Rev.  Benjamin  F. 
Clark,  was  called  to  this  church  August  1,  1839,  and 
continued  to  January  31,  1869,  a  period  of  nearly 
thirty  years.  Mr.  Clark's  influence  was  not  confined 
to  his  immediate  charge.  He  was  an  active  citizen  of 
the  town,  the  author  of  several  literary  works,  and  at 
one  time  represented  the  district  in  the  Massachusetts 
Senate. 

The  rapidly-growing  city  of  Lowell  drew  so  largely 
from  the  Middlesex  Society  to  its  various  churches, 
that  services  there  were  discontinued.  The  meeting- 
house, after  remaining  unoccupied  for  a  number  of 
years,  was  purchased  by  .the  Roman  Catholics  and  re- 
moved to  North  Chelmsford.  Under  the  name  of  St. 
John's  Church,  that  form  of  worship  has  continued 
there  to  the  present  time.  The  church  was  dedicated 
in  July,  1860. 

The  St.  Anne's  Episcopal  Society,  over  which  the 
esteemed  Rev.  Theodore  Edson  presided  for  upwards 
of  half  of  a  century,  was  first  organized  in  March, 
1824,  while  the  territory  still  formed  a  part  of 
Chelmsford. 

An  Episcopal  Soc'ety,  at  the  centre  of  the  town,  by 
the  name  of  the  "Parish  of  St.  Anne's,  Chelmsford,'' 
was  formed  May  26,  1867.  The  name  was  changed 
by  an  act  of  the  General  Court  February  27,,  1888,  to 
"Parish  of  All  Saints."  Their  Gothic  stone  edifice 
was  consecrated  December  20,  1882. 

An  Orthodox  Congregational  Society  was  formed  at 
the  Centre  Village  in  1876.  They  have  since  erected 
a  very  neat  and  attractive  church  building. 

No  New  England  village  is  completed  without  its 
church  and  school-house.  As  soon  as  a  sufficient 
number  of  families  had  clustered  about  the  manufac- 
turing enterprises  at  West  Chelmsford  a  religious  so- 
ciety was  formed  by  the  name  of  the  West  Chelms- 


ford Union  Church,  and  a  house  of  worship  erected 
in  1848.  As  the  name  implies,  it  was  undenomina- 
tional in  character.  But  in  1871,  those  of  the  Method- 
ist persuasion  predominating,  the  name  was  changed 
to  the  West  Chelmsford  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
The  present  neat  and  attractive  church  was  dedicated 
January  10,  1888. 

The  resignation  of  Rev.  Wilkes  Allen,  October  21, 
1832,  closed  the  last  of  the  long  pastorates  over  the 
First  Congregational  Society.  The  present  pastor, 
Rev.  Joseph  H.  Chase,  began  his  labors  with  this 
church  in  1883. 

The  meeting-house  now  used  by  this  historic  society 
is  the  fourth  which  has  stood  upon  or  very  near  the 
site  of  the  original  one.  The  third  one  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1842. 

Statistical. — The  following  statistics  in  regard  to 
the  present  condition  of  the  town  are  taken  from  the 
Massachusetts  census  of  1885: 

Population,  2304;  agricultural  products,  $160,009; 
agricultural  property,  $944,116;  number  of  manufac- 
turing establishments,  22;  capital  invested,  $73,368; 
total  value  of  goods  made  and  work  done,  $517,868  ; 
number  of  persons  employed,  421;  total  wages  paid, 
$139,717.     Census  of  1890,  population  2693. 

In  the  report  of  the  assessors  submitted  February 
28,  1890,  the  value  of  real  estate  assessed  is  given  as 
$1,336,390;  personal  estate,  $256,769;  total  valuation, 
$1,593,159;  number  of  horses  assessed,  480;  cows, 
985;  swine,  186;  dwellings,  593;  acres  of  land,  14,132; 
the  appropriation  voted  by  the  town  for  the  support 
of  schools,  including  text-books  and  school  inciden- 
tals, $6700;  for  the  support  of  the  poor,  $2300;  for 
highways,  $4000. 

The  report  of  the  School  Committee  gives  the  total 
number  of  school  children  463  ;  average  number  at- 
tending school,  340.8  ;  amount  paid  teachers,  $5505 ; 
the  number  of  schools,  15,  four  of  which  are  at  the 
centre  of  the  town,  four  at  North  Chelmsford,  one  at 
West  Chelmsford,  and  one  each  at  Districts  2,  3,  4,  5, 
6  and  7. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

GEORGE   T.    SHELDON.^ 

George  T.  Sheldon  was  born  in  Easton,  Mass., 
February  6,  1829.  His  father,  Rev.  Luther  Sheldon, 
was  for  more  than  fifty  years  the  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  in  Easton.  His  only  brother, 
Rev.  Luther  H.  Sheldon,  a  graduate  of  Middleborough 
College,  after  a  service  of  many  years  as  a  Congrega- 
tional clergyman,  is  now  a  resident  of  Andover,  Mass. 

Mr.  Sheldon  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  in  the  academy  at  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  and  at  a 
private  school  in  New  Jersey.  After  a  short  service 
as  clerk  in  Easton,  he  came  to  North  Chelmsford,  in 

>By  Charles  C.  Chase. 


^-^is 


